The Secret Spring
by BettyHT
Summary: Adam gets involved in an unconventional romance, and he's in for a bumpy ride.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Sent out in early spring to mend fences, Adam, Hoss, and Joe sat around a campfire the first night.

"Hey, Adam, remember those stories you told us when we were kids? You'd have a book open and act like you was reading. Heck, it wasn't until you left for college and Little Joe wanted me to read those stories to him that we found out those stories weren't even in that book. You made em all up."

"Yeah, those stories were good for us when we were kids. Maybe you should write a book of children's stories like that. Those were good stories." Joe leaned back against his saddle with a nostalgic look.

Lounging against a log with his feet warming near the fire, Adam looked over at his brothers. "So you want me to tell you a bedtime story?"

"Nah, nowadays I want the stories to be about getting a gal or at least drinking a barrel of beer. Too bad you don't know no stories like that."

"Well, Hoss, perhaps I haven't lost all my talents for storytelling. How about this one?

_Once upon a time not very long ago and not very far away, a handsome, gallant cowboy was as tired as if he had jousted with thirty knights and entertained ten fair maidens, but alas, he was mostly just tired of riding his steed and prodding cattle during a six week cattle drive to feed the hungry living within the city walls. When the quest was over, he headed for home, but could not bear the thought of spending even one more day in the company of men who spent their days swearing and cussing and their nights farting and belching. The stench of their unwashed bodies assaulted his very essence so he decided on a solitary ride to their home hoping to find peace and tranquility along the way._

_ After a week of meandering through the hills in the general direction of home, he chanced upon a small glade where the heat of a hot spring had warmed the area, and though it was but spring, the plum trees were laden with ripe fruit. He plucked one after another and ate them as the juice of the ripe fruit dribbled down his chin on onto the dirty shirt that covered his manly muscular chest. He could not bear to be so filthy with the beckoning warm waters of the spring awaiting him so he cast his clothing to the grass and slipped into the pool. He submerged himself once, twice, and then three times. As he stood preparing to wash his clothing, he felt warm, gentle, fragile hands encircle him from behind. In his shock, he nearly jumped from the pool._

_ "Sir, do you not want me? You completed the ritual. You ate the fruit, you undressed, and you submerged in my waters three times. You are filled with the juice of the magic plums, wet from head to toe, and as clean as the day you were born. I am now yours to do with as you will for the next twenty-four hours."_

_ Our handsome cowboy had grabbed at the grass at the edge of the pool to pull himself out, but hearing that melodious voice and tempting offer, he had to stop and view the fair maiden. Turning toward her, he found her covered only by the water from her waist down and by long, glowing, blonde locks from the waist up. She put her hands out in supplication to him. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled as her hand caressed the damp curly hair on his chest. He kissed her and she responded with ardor. She gasped with the strength of him and caressed the powerful muscles in his sculpted arms._

_ "Do I please you, my lord?"_

_ "My lady, you please me very much. Now I have the rest of the day and night to be with you?"_

_ So she washed his clothing, prepared him a feast, and as often as he could, he held her and loved her. Alas, after sleeping together with nought between them, it was dawn. Her sad face reminded him that their time together was nearly over._

_ "My lord, will you return to me? I cannot bear the thought that I shall never see you again."_

_ "I'll visit you as often as I am able."_

_ "Every year at this time, I will await your return."_

_ "I must wait a year?"_

_ "Alas, this glade is here only in the spring when the plums are ripe and juicy. You may only visit me then and only once."_

_ Kissing her hand and caressing her, the hero laid the beauty down upon the blankets and made sweet love with her for the last time that year. As they finished, she kissed his lips one more time and then slipped into the pool submerging without nary a ripple. Feeling refreshed and just a bit sad, our stalwart cowboy hero rode to his home with sweet memories and a promise to return to his secret glade in one year_."

"Hey, older brother, that's a good story, I'm gonna have dreams about that tonight. I guess you haven't lost your story telling talents at all."

"Well, thank you, Hoss. And now I want to get some sleep. There are still a lot of fence lines to mend, and I want a good night's rest."

Later after both Little Joe and Hoss had checked the horses, they walked to the camp together. Adam appeared to be sleeping already.

"Joe, you don't suppose that really happened to Adam, do ya?"

"Oh, Hoss, are you joshing me? He was just telling a story to entertain us and it did. I was picturing myself in that scene anyway."

"Ya, I guess so, but I remember last year that he was over a day behind us getting home and we stopped in Carson and had some fun in the saloons and with the ladies before we came home. And he didn't even take a bath when he got home neither. He was clean like he already had a bath, and his clothes was clean too."

Little Joe contemplated that. Everything that Hoss said was true. Was it possible that Adam was telling a true story or a story very close to the truth. "I don't know, Hoss. But this year, after the drive, if he rides off alone, we'll be following him."

"Little brother, that's a plan."

And the two brothers slipped into their bedrolls for some sleep. In the darkness, lying quietly wrapped in his blanket, Adam smiled. He looked forward to the surprise they would get if they followed him, although he frowned then worrying that they might also ruin his time in the secret location. Of course, that presupposed that they could find it at all.

The following spring as the roundup was completed and then the cattle drive was nearly over, Hoss brought the hot spring and the beautiful and willing woman up in a discussion with Adam. He wanted to know where it and she were.

"Now, Hoss, I can't tell you. It's a secret spring. You have to be chosen by the maiden for a chance at her charms. It would be sacrilege to divulge such information. I'm a bit worried about what could happen to me if I did."

"Really?" Thinking for a moment, Hoss felt he was being misled. "Nah, you're just joshing me, but really, where did you go last year?"

"I told you, but you and Joe don't want to believe me."

"Well, you planning on going back this year?"

"Haven't made up my mind on that."

"You gonna ride home by your lonesome again?"

"Oh, most definitely. It was very relaxing to have time without the smells and the noise, and not having any cattle around was a welcome change too."

"You don't have to get so insulting. You don't smell like no prairie rose either after weeks on the trail."

"No, I'll have to find a place to take a nice bath and wash my clothes. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make the rounds before I get some sleep. One more day, and I can be off on my own. I'm really looking forward to it."

As Adam rode off to take a circuit of the herd that they would drive into the stockyards the next day, Joe walked up to Hoss. "Did he tell you anything?"

"Nope, nothing. It's just like he's funning with us. He said he's riding off on his own again though, so you up for following him like we planned?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely. We gotta find out what he's up to."

So two days later, Hoss rose at dawn expecting that Adam would be riding out early. He looked out the window to see his brother walking toward the livery stable. "Joe, Joe, get up. He's leaving. We gotta hurry." Both brothers rushed to dress, grab their belongings, pay their bill, and rush to the livery stable to get their horses. Riding out of town at a gallop, they looked for Adam's trail but there wasn't one. They followed the road instead watching for tracks leading away from it. They found them later that day as Adam veered north of the usual route home. For two more days, they followed him, tracking him and never getting too close although from ridges and hilltops, they often saw him riding up ahead. Finally they got to the mountains after three long days of riding.

"Joe, we gotta get closer to him. It's too hard to track in these hills, and in the mountains, it can get worse. We need to get our eyes on him to keep up spo he don't slip away."

So Hoss and Joe rode closer. Adam was aware they were following and paused on occasion to make sure they could spot him until he reached a long canyon. Then he rode a bit faster, and they wouldn't ride in too soon because they didn't want to be spotted not knowing he was already well aware they were there. By the time they decided to enter the canyon, they rode the length of it without seeing Adam at all. When they emerged at the other end of the canyon, he wasn't there and there were no tracks either. Hoss looked everywhere the thought someone could have left the canyon and found nothing. They decided to ride back to the other end thinking that perhaps Adam had doubled back, and somehow they had missed him. At the other end of the canyon they found his trail in and theirs but nothing else. Then they made another pass through the canyon looking for a place where he could have hidden. Again they found nothing, and it was getting dark so they needed to make camp. They searched again the next day, and then headed to Placerville and the best darn decided to have some fun in that town.

Miles away from the canyon, Adam had ridden up to a small cabin in a glade. He had left the canyon by a narrow s shaped defile that could not be seen unless you were right next to it. From even fifty feet away, the rock wall looked solid. At the cabin, he dismounted and walked to it only to see a shotgun pointed out the door at him.

"So, I'm not welcome this time?"

"Damn you. You bewitched me last fall. I can't sleep without having dreams about you. The whole winter was unpleasant with you in my dreams and my days all alone. So, you just go on your way."

Walking to the door with a little smirk, Adam pushed it open. She was tall, blonde, and shapely. He knew every inch of skin under that shirt and skirt for he had explored them thoroughly the previous year. He had seen her the previous fall hunting in the canyon when she seemingly vanished. Not one to allow a mystery to linger, he had investigated until he found the hidden path out of the canyon. He followed her trail easily and arrived at her cabin to find her bathing in a warm spring next to it. She had been shocked when he appeared at her home, and he had undressed and invited himself into the spring. The rest was in the fairy tale he told his brothers. Then after a day, he had told her he had to leave. She wouldn't go with him so he said he would be back. She had said that if he left, he should not come back.

"I told you I would come back, and I always keep my promises." Pushing the barrel of the shotgun to the side, Adam touched her cheek. "I missed you too. You were in my dreams."

Leaning the shotgun against the wall, she sighed deeply. "I can't say no to you." He grinned at that, and she melted.

"I need a bath. Let's go to the spring." Adam put his hand out for hers, and she took it. At the spring, Adam quickly disrobed and then moved to help her. "Patricia, let me do this." He finished unbuttoning her shirt and pulled it from her skirt. Undoing the belt of the skirt, he let that drop to the ground and removed her long chemise. He pulled her close, untied the bow of her pantaloons, slipped his hands inside, and pushed them down her hips until they fell to the ground as well. He stepped into the pool leading her by the hand. He continued into the water until they could sit and be mostly submerged. They sat and talked for a time, but desire soon overwhelmed restraint.

Sated temporarily, the two stayed in that position and talked as they gently caressed each other. Finally Patricia said they ought to get out of the spring before they were as wrinkled as prunes. Adam would not let her dress so they carried their clothing back to the cabin. "I want to feast my eyes on you for every second I can. I should shave though."

"I could shave you."

"No, I don't think I want you near me with a razor."

"I wouldn't hurt you."

"Oh, I know that. At least you would never hurt me on purpose, but if you were that close, I would have to touch you, and who knows what you might cut off if I did." As she laughed, he got his shaving kit. She got some biscuits and preserves out. They ate those when he finished shaving.

"You have some preserves on your chin." Adam leaned forward and licked and kissed the preserves away. That led to another session of kissing and loving. For two days, they enjoyed each other and spent a lot of time talking until Adam said he had to go. He asked her again to come with him. She refused but with a caveat.

"My research is done and the book is almost finished. Will you visit me when you can? Perhaps we should see how things develop if we spend more time together."

Kissing her passionately before mounting up, Adam promised to be back as soon as he could. He rode away looking back to see her standing by her spring, smiling and waving. The ride home seemed to be over in a very short time as he felt so good and his thoughts were so positive. When he arrived at the Ponderosa, Hoss walked out of the stable where he and Joe had been repairing tack. Adam was clean, his clothing was clean, and Sport looked rested.

"Where you been? We followed you and lost you in a long rock canyon. We were kinda worried as to where you got to."

"Well, Hoss, _the gallant knight was riding on his faithful steed through a long rock canyon on a quest to vanquish evil when suddenly, a silver fog raced in from all directions enveloping him so completely that he could see naught. He yelled out, 'Please, can someone help me? Please, I cannot move for I cannot see. Please, I need help.' The fog vanished and he was back at the secret spring and the maiden awaited him. 'My lord, you completed the sacred chant. I am yours for the next two days.' Not one to challenge fate, the gallant knight did as he was bid."_

Hoss stomped back into the stable. "Dadburnit, Joe, he ain't gonna tell us nothing again this year. Dang his ornery hide."

Adam walked into the stable leading Sport. He put him in his stall and removed the saddle after giving him grain and water. "So what did you two do on the way home besides trailing me?"

"We went to Lulu's. The ladies were happy to see us. I spent all my time with one very pretty little gal. Makes me think marriage wouldn't be so bad if you can wake up in the morning with a gal beside you. It's not a bad way to start the day. Hoss, why don't you tell him what you did?"

"I hardly did nothing, but them gals sure are friendly."

"C'mon now, Adam. We told you what we did. What about you? What were you doing the last few days?"

"Oh, I met up with a researcher and a writer. We talked. I relaxed. Then I came home."

"No gals? Dang, and here we thought you was having some fun."

"Oh, Hoss, I did have fun. What could be more fun that spending a couple of days with a true researcher and writer? I enjoyed my time immensely." Adam walked to the house then.

Hoss and Joe watched him go. "I swear, Hoss, I never want to be like that when I get old like Adam. He never has a good time."

"Well, he'll tell us a fairy tale about his trip ifn we ask. It's kinda sad that's all he's got."

"Yeah."

But neither thought to ask how Adam knew they had been following him out of town, and why he had slipped away from them nor did they press the point about how he had done that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Over the next few months, Adam left on a few short hunting trips and one trip to restock line shacks that took almost a week longer than normal. He had said he might ride out a bit further to see the researcher and writer he knew so his family did not worry except for all the time he seemed to want to spend alone for he had refused company on each of the hunting trips. Yet he seemed happier and less contrary than usual so it appeared to be good for him. He no longer visited the fancy houses in town and rebuffed the efforts of saloon girls who wanted him to go upstairs with them. Some even offered services free of any charge and yet he continued to refuse. Joe and Hoss were feeling some pity for their older brother and wondered if there was anything they could do. They pressed him to go to a dance where he seemed to have fun dancing with a number of women but never took any one of them outside for a walk in the moonlight. When they rode him, Hoss and Joe exchanged looks. They thought something needed to be done. Soon they would leave on a small drive and wondered what Adam would do at the end of it.

When they were riding home from the end of that drive, Hoss and Joe insisted that Adam had to come with them. They even offered to pay for one of the gals to spend the night with him. At first, he wanted to be angry with them, but they meant so well that he couldn't be angry. He agreed but had another plan in mind. Hoss and Joe looked so proud of themselves when he picked out a dark haired beauty and went upstairs at Lulu's with her. Each of them picked a comely woman and headed up to their regular rooms.

"What's your name?"

"Men seldom need to know my name. It can be anything you want it to be."

"I would really like to know."

"All right, my name here is Raven."

"But?"

"But my given name is Mathilde. You can see why I don't use that here."

"All right, Raven, then here's the plan. You're already paid for the night. For an extra ten dollars, will you stay here, moan loudly on occasion and call out my name?"

"You're leaving?"

"Yes. I didn't want to be here in the first place, but my brothers meant well. I have someplace else I need to be. Will you do it?"

"She must be pretty darn good."

Startled for a moment, Adam smiled. When she saw that grin and those dimples, she was ready to do whatever he wanted. "Well, then, what's your name, sweetie?"

"Adam." Handing over the gold coin, Adam picked up his hat and jacket.

"Adam Cartwright? You've got quite a reputation here. I'm sorry I won't get to find out if it's all true."

"Thank you, and thank you. I'll just slip out the back way. Remember now, relax, and moan and yell out my name often enough so my brothers don't get suspicious."

"Good luck with your lady. I hope the two of you have a good time."

Tipping his hat, Adam quietly left. Raven heard all sorts of noise from the next room and knew that Hoss was definitely enjoying himself. She stood at the window and watched Adam cross the street to the livery and then head to the mercantile. She did as he asked but kept watch at the window. Within an hour, she saw him packing up a mule, and then mounting up to ride out. That's when she heard Hoss call out his younger brother's name.

Joe was enjoying some time with a lady and tried to ignore Hoss yelling for him but Hoss was persistent so he finally opened the door to the adjacent room.

"Joe, he done it again, dadburnit."

"Who did what again?"

"I was coming over here to use the chamberpot when I looked out the window and saw him."

Just then there were moans from the next room and Raven called out "Adam, oh lord, Adam, that's so good."

"Yeah, so who did you see?"

"Adam. I saw him mount up and ride out with a pack-horse. Ornery cuss. We done paid for Raven to spend the whole night with him."

"Well it sounds like she is."

"Let's go see then, cause I can bet you that he ain't in there."

When they pushed Raven's door open, she was sitting in a chair watching out the window. She turned in alarm until she saw Joe and Hoss standing there. She held up the gold coin. "He paid me more than you did."

"Darn. Well, Hoss, it's going to be dark in an hour. I don't want to follow him and just end up camping an hour from town. Let's have some fun and follow him tomorrow."

Reluctantly Hoss agreed. In the morning, Hoss and Joe headed directly to the long stone canyon where they had lost Adam the previous spring. Hoss was determined to find how he had left that canyon without them being able to find him. It took almost until dark and then they found the narrow defile that led out of the canyon. They camped there and hoped to find Adam's tracks the next morning. As they followed Adam's tracks, they smelled wood smoke and saw a cabin up ahead so they rode to the hill above the cabin to watch and see what happened. Nothing happened for quite a while and Hoss fell asleep until Joe poked him in the shoulder several times.

"Hoss, Hoss, Adam just walked out of that cabin with a woman. She's tall and blonde. So much for the writer and the researcher. He's been lying to us all along, and he told us he would never lie to us."

"What? Huh? I don't see nothing."

"They went around to the side of the cabin. Let's move down the ridgeline to your right until we can see where they went."

By the time they saw Adam again, he was in a pond with the blond woman. Their bare shoulders that showed above the water left no secret as to what they were doing. Joe just stared for a bit until Hoss told him they had to leave because they were invading his privacy.

In the pond, Adam and Patricia were wrapped together in the warm water. He kissed her and said they had to talk. "I brought a pack mule loaded with supplies. If you're agreeable, I can stay for the winter. I would much rather be trapped here with you than trapped on the Ponderosa. If you say yes, I'll head back to town to get more supplies and send a telegram to my family. If you're not agreeable, the supplies are still yours and I can stay for a few days at least."

Patricia leaned forward and kissed him again. "Send your telegram."

Later, lounging in bed with Patricia, Adam voiced a concern. "What if you are with child?"

"I know what plants to use. I've been researching the plants of the Sierras for over two years now. My book is almost done."

"You would end it?"

"Yes. I told you from the start. I believe in free love but not in marriage and children. Not for me. I do care for you, and we can continue this relationship as long as you want, but I don't want a family. I want to work on my next book once this one is done. I already have some ideas."

"You won't reconsider?"

"No, it's my life and my decision how I want to live it."

"This was a mistake, then, wasn't it?"

"Not a mistake unless you want it to be. You are welcome to share my life. I love being with you. You make my heart sing. But I won't be chained down and caged. Isn't that what you don't like about your life? Tied to things and forced to accept responsibilities you don't want when what you would really like would be to make your own mark on the world?"

It was the last they talked about it, but it soured their relationship. A week before Christmas, Adam returned to his home as contrary and ornery as ever. Joe tried to tease him about what he had been doing but nearly ended up in a fight. So Ben told Hoss and Joe to let it alone. It was clear that Adam needed to think something through and that something had happened to upset him. It wasn't easy to shake his confidence, but someone had done it. Hoss and Joe were sure they knew who it was. It was early March before Adam opened up to Hoss. He knew Hoss would not be judgmental, and at the moment, he couldn't take anyone judging him. He was doing enough of that for himself.

"You're leaving, ain't ya?"

"With the way things are, I don't feel like I have any choice. You heard what Pa said. It's his house and his ranch, and he built his dream for us. But apparently I had no part in that so I have no say in its future."

"Yeah, but sometimes he's got a worse temper than you and Joe put together especially when somebody challenges his way of thinking. Can ya give it a few more days at least? Maybe ride the fence lines with me one last time if you're really fixing on leaving?"

"Hoss, he also lectured me on my behavior like I was too young to make my own decisions and live with them. I don't know how you tolerate being treated like a boy when you've been a man and done a man's work for so long already. I just won't accept it any more. It eats at me and makes me want to say things I'll never be able to take back."

"I know what you mean, but Pa means well. He just can't seem to get out of that Pa way of thinking."

Nodding and leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands, Adam was silent. Hoss put a hand on his shoulder, and the two brothers sat communicating silently in the way they had. Neither had to say any more. They knew how the other felt. Eventually, Hoss had a question.

"Ya really loved her, didn't ya?"

Adam nodded. "Yes, _the gallant knight hoped she would be his lady, but she has other plans. She would have him only on her terms, and he cannot give up his code of valor, so the two are tragically never to be united_ _as one._ _Their love was a tragedy._ Love doesn't ever seem to affect the outcome though, does it? We are just not lucky in that. I think I should look for a lady who can stand to be with me and isn't too hard on the eyes. Love doesn't seem as important when you're alone. I'd like a family. I'd like to have someone to talk with about my thoughts. I'd like to share my time with someone. I'd like to have someone next to me when I wake up in the morning. It's a very good feeling to have that. For a while there, I thought I had found it."

"When you gonna go?"

"Soon would be best before any more harsh words are said or feelings hurt. I plan on going to San Francisco to try to find a job first. If that works out, I'll open my own business eventually. If it doesn't work out that way, well, the city's a port so it's a doorway to anywhere."

"Pa's gonna be real upset."

"He'll have you and Joe. He doesn't need me here causing trouble for him. He might be relieved to see me go."

"You got no call to say that. He loves you even if he don't say it or sometimes don't show it like he should."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just the bitterness coming out. Will you visit me when you get a chance?"

"That may be the stupidest dadblamed question you ever asked me."

"Sorry. And I've been saying that a lot lately. It's just another sign that I need to go."

"But you'll be back someday, won't ya? This is your home?"

Nodding, Adam was quiet again. Hoss sat next to him until it was time for both of them to try to get some sleep. It wasn't going to be easy. Before dawn, Adam got up and wrote a long letter to his family but especially for his father and Joe. Hoss understood already. He was apologetic for his behavior and accepted the responsibility for the discord between him and his father. He also was clear that he wasn't running away but to something. He had his own dreams and hoped his father would understand. He didn't plan to take the coward's way out and leave without saying goodbye, but he also knew that those circumstances were not conducive to him explaining his actions. He left the letter on his desk, and packed the items he had decided to take with him as well as his suit and other clothing. His valise and saddlebags were full by the time he finished.

The goodbyes were pretty much as he expected. He rode Sport as he planned to keep him in California with him. Ben had expected something like this but had hoped to have time to discuss it and dissuade his son from leaving. He realized though that Adam would have known that too and it was probably one of the reasons for his abrupt departure. He wasn't going to let guilt hold him on the Ponderosa.

Within a month, Adam had a job with an architectural firm. He had a small one-bedroom apartment and worked there at night. He hoped to make a reputation for himself and then use the money from some of his investments to open his own firm. As he walked home one spring evening in a light rain, he kept his head down and did his best to shield his portfolio of drawings. He had work to do over the weekend. It wasn't much so he would have time to enjoy some of the city's amenities as well. He almost didn't see her, and even when he did, he didn't recognize her because with his head down, he only saw her from the waist down or rather he saw a skirt and boots. He was opening the door of the apartment house when he whirled around. That skirt was familiar, and he saw Patricia looking up at him.

"I wondered if you didn't see me or didn't want to see me."

"I'm sorry. I was trying to keep my papers dry and my mind was elsewhere too."

"Are we going to stand out here in the rain, or are you going to invite me in?"

Opening the door and stepping inside, Adam gestured gallantly for her to follow him if she wished. He walked up one flight of stairs and opened his apartment door allowing Patricia to enter first. After setting his portfolio on the desk, he turned to her and stepped close. She didn't back up so he embraced her and kissed her. Then it seemed that all the pent up emotion of the last four months overwhelmed him. He held her tight and kissed her hard as he pressed his body against hers. He did what he had wanted to do so many times in his dreams. Patricia willingly submitted to his almost ferocious need for her. Then hoarsely and with his eyes closed as he pressed his forehead against hers, he apologized. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I hope I didn't hurt you."

Struggling to catch her breath, Patricia soothed his soul. "Cowboy, you can do that to me anytime you want. That was pure visceral desire and nothing makes me feel more like a woman than that. I was worried that you might be angry with me, but that apparently isn't the case."

"I was never angry with you. I was hurt because I so wanted you to be with me. When you refused, I had a difficult time accepting that. There are just a couple of differences between us that seem insurmountable, but I love you. I can't help myself no matter what our differences are."

Gently disentangling, the two of them straightened up their clothing. Once they were again presentable, Adam smiled and gently touched her cheek. "What I should have said before is what are you doing here?"

"I've been here since the spring thaw. I brought my book in to submit it to my publishers. Now I'm waiting for a reply. Then I heard from a mutual acquaintance that Adam Cartwright had left the Ponderosa and struck out on his own. I had to see you."

"Has anything changed?"

Sighing, Patricia asked if they could sit because for some reason, she suddenly felt exhausted. She smiled when she said it and put her hand in Adam's. Once seated, she had an answer. "Yes, actually. There's a letter waiting for you on the Ponderosa. I wrote it last winter but was only able to post it about a month ago. It must have missed you by a few days."

"What changed?"

"You mean besides you breaking free and setting out to live your own life? Well, I found I couldn't do it. I had the plants and I mixed the solution, and then I threw it away. I think I must have done that about six or seven times. Finally I decided I was a fool. So I wrote that letter to you then because you had a right to know."

Processing what she had said, Adam had to ask. "You're carrying my child?"

"Yes, of course. You don't think there's any other man who found my own little Walden Pond, do you and invited himself into my life? Of course it's yours. Well it's mine too. It's ours. It's taken a while to get used to the idea, but I guess the reality of knowing there's a child in there is a lot more significant than I ever thought it would be."

"You've changed. What do you want to do now?" Adam was suddenly filled with hope but he had to hear her say it before he could begin to think it might actually come true.

"That's up to you. I know what I want, but I don't know if you still want it after the way we parted. Although the way you greeted me leads me to believe you might still want to share my life with me. So what do you say?"

"I've started working as an architect. Do you want to share that life with me?"

"I think I can write anywhere. It would of course be preferable if you were there with me."

Reaching out for Patricia's hand, Adam had to ask. "Does your plan include marriage or just living with me?"

"Now that there's a third person in the equation, I think it would be best if I accepted the concept of marriage, but do not for one moment think that I am going to say I will obey you. You know how angry I can get about things and how pigheaded I can be. Sometimes I'm contrary just because things get boring. Are you sure you want to marry me? Can you actually commit to being with someone as difficult as I am for the rest of your life?"

"You just described me. I could ask you the same question. This marriage could be rather contentious, but there's one thing you always have to remember. I love you."

"You're in my heart too. I love you. And I'm guessing our life together will never be boring."

On Monday, Adam and Patricia went to the courthouse to be married. Adam wrote a letter to his family, and hoped they would understand that he had his reasons for marrying without his family being present. He expected to travel to the Ponderosa in the coming months to introduce them to her but her research and writing as well as his responsibilities in his job meant that might not happen. He did invite them to visit them anytime.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A week later, Adam got a telegram that his father and brothers were on their way. Smiling, he walked back to his apartment to tell his wife they were going to be having company, and she needed to be sure to be wearing clothing except when they were in bed. She told him that the same was true for him. They were not shy in communicating with each other, and sometimes it was quite blunt. In the less than two weeks that they had been married, there were a lot of adjustments to be made by both, and neither was the type to easily give up habits of a lifetime. Usually there was a bit of surliness followed by some pointed comments until there was a loud confrontation. Then to please the other, one would accept the change. Patricia had to ask one morning after one of their arguments the night before and then the make-up loving that followed if Adam thought other married couples had such an up and down relationship.

"I'm not sure, but I doubt it. My father was like that a bit with Marie, but she always seemed to win in the end. Our arguments go both ways. We've both ended up conceding some points. I guess living single for so many years may have affected us too. I'm sure it affected me a lot. If we had married at twenty or so like a lot of people, we probably wouldn't have developed to be so independent. It's difficult to hand over decision making to another."

"Especially as you just tore it out of your father's hands?"

"That may be part of it too. On that note, have you heard from your parents yet?"

"No, and that has me a little worried too. I know they never approved of my free wheeling lifestyle and my commitment to free love, but at least they could point with pride to the fact that I published books that colleges are using. I was far from home so they could ignore the more unconventional aspects of my life for their friends didn't know most of what I was doing. Now, I don't have any idea what they think. I suppose they thought I would eventually settle down and marry a respectable man, and here I eloped with a cowboy after finding out I was with child. I'm concerned about how they've reacted to that."

"I was concerned too about how my father would react, but the speedy response and the fact that he's on his way here has been reassuring."

"What about your brothers?"

"They may be a bit jealous when they meet you, but I'm rather sure they think I've finally made a good decision in my life."

"When do we get to have a house? Living in this apartment is stifling my creativity. For the last week or so, I haven't had the urge to write at all. I can't do any plant drawings surrounded by walls and the traffic and streets outside. It's all brick, stone, plaster, and various other things that have no life. I sit at that window and stare out at the street wondering how to escape."

"Escape me or escape the apartment?"

"Don't start with me. I want to know when we can get a house. So don't dodge the question like you are prone to do and just give me an answer."

"I don't know. Do you want to buy one and move in, or do you want me to design one for us and have it built?"

"I don't think I want someone else's house, but waiting for a house to be built will be too long, I think. Can't we find a house we like and fix it up the way we want it? That's what I did with that cabin. It was a prospector's cabin, but he didn't find the gold he thought he would so he sold out to me. Then I had it fixed up the way I liked it."

"You have a mining claim?"

"Yes, and again, don't change the subject. Can we look for a house to fix up the way we like it? Once we have one chosen, I can do the shopping for things, and you can plan out the changes. Then we get some workmen to do the alterations, and move into our house."

"We can do that. How about a little tour of the city on tomorrow or Sunday, and we can look for a place? Once that's done, we can do the rest of your plan."

"That's a first."

"A first of what?"

"We made a decision together, and we didn't argue about it."

"Oh, it may be the third one of those or even further down the list. We made some other decisions without arguing. You agreed to marry me without arguing."

"Except that was about the third time you asked if I would consider marriage. We didn't agree the first two times at all."

"Ah, yes, my free love lady, but we did make love without arguing at all."

"That wasn't a decision. That was giving in to lust. I couldn't resist you when you asked if you could bathe in my spring. I just never thought you would take off all your clothing in front of me."

"You already had all your clothing removed."

"But I was covered by water. You were in the buff standing there in the sunlight. I couldn't even think the word 'no' much less say it."

"Well, that does do wonders for my self confidence. Would you like to try for another vision of me without my clothing?"

"I would love to except I think I hear the tread of boots on the stairs so I'm guessing that it's possible your family has arrived."

When there was a knock on the door, Adam went to answer and verified Patricia's guess. It was indeed his father and his brothers. Introductions were made, and then they sat by the small dining table and talked.

"Is it hard gettin used to livin in such a tiny place after living in our big house for so long?"

"Hoss, I'm only here at night and on weekends. It's not so bad, but we're planning to get a house soon. This is too confining for Patricia."

Ben's face stayed as neutral as he could make it, but he was disappointed. He had hoped to convince Adam to bring Patricia to Virginia City and set up his office and business there. If they got a house in San Francisco, it was unlikely Adam would be coming back to the Ponderosa any time soon. He did ask about Adam's work though.

"You're moving up in the firm already then?"

"Yes, at first, they had me redraw plans with corrections that had already been noted. I did mention a few other problems with some of the designs, and they liked my ideas. Soon, I was looking over all the plans that came in, making suggestions for corrections, and then redrawing them. A week ago, they gave me my own project. It's just a house, but the buyer wants a design with flair and some exotic elements. He wants a house that people will be talking about. I haven't been drawing up house plans for years so I don't have preconceived notions of how they ought to be done. Once I have the preliminary work done, I'll present them and then several other architects will weigh in with any suggestions they have. If they like most of the plan, it will have my name on it when it goes to the buyer. If he likes it, then I'll get more projects like that. The firm is bidding for the chance to design some new public buildings as well, and if they win those contracts, I'll be on those teams too."

"I never pictured you as wanting to work for someone else."

"Pa, it's a necessary first step. When I've made a name for myself, I want to open my own firm. I already have some people who have said they would like to work with me. I have enough money in investments to do it."

"And enough for a house?"

Nodding, Adam mentioned that Patricia had money as well as a gold claim. She scowled a little when he mentioned that he had married a prospector. He smiled, and she realized he had purposely goaded her to see her reaction. She smiled and Adam got worried about what she might say in retaliation.

"So, do you think my citified cowboy will pass inspection with my upper crust parents? I've been working on his manners, but there's still a lot to be desired on that score."

Hoss and Joe grinned at her dig at Adam and waited for his reaction. Adam had seen his father's reaction and decided to avoid the usual banter with his wife. When he didn't respond, Patricia wondered why he had become so reticent and correctly surmised it was his father. Instead of instigating any more digs at each other, she asked if they would all like to go to dinner together. Hoss answered first and in the affirmative, which made everyone smile. They made plans to meet at a restaurant an hour later.

With Patricia dressed in one of her better dresses and without an apron over the skirt, it was more clear that she was with child. Adam had mentioned in his letter that they were going to have a child, but apparently Ben had not realized how imminent that was. It was also the main reason for bickering between his oldest son and his wife at the table at dinner. She wanted to eat some spicy dishes and he tried his best to dissuade her but not with much success. It seemed the more he objected, the more she ordered of things he told her not to eat. By the end of the evening, Ben was very concerned about the volatile relationship Adam had with Patricia. He began to worry that his son had married out of duty rather than love. Once back at their hotel, he voiced his concerns when Hoss asked him why he looked so worried.

"Pa, you know Adam's always does things his way. He wouldn't have been with her if he didn't love her. I guess I'm saying you just have to trust that he knew what he was doing when he married her."

"Oh, I'm sure he did, but I worry about their long term relationship with all the bickering we've seen and they've only been married for weeks."

"Pa, Hoss and I saw them together a months ago. We saw them last fall. They've known each other quite a while. I don't think either of them went into this marriage without knowing what the other one was like."

"You saw them together? When?" And Hoss and Joe had to explain the fairy tale about the secret spring and how it had intrigued them so much they followed Adam and found him at the cabin with Patricia the previous fall. They explained that a lot of those trips he was making to visit with his friend the researcher and writer were trips to see Patricia. "But Adam wouldn't lie like that."

"He wasn't lying, Pa. That's why she's got some money of her own. She writes books about plants and stuff and draws the pictures for them and everything. Adam's been in love with her for a while. He told me that before he left, but he thought she wouldn't marry him. I guess the baby changed her mind on some things. What did Adam say she was, again, Joe?"

"He said she's a naturalist and a botanist. She's mostly self-taught too. She learned a lot of this stuff just by traveling and observing. She's got a bunch of books with drawings in them and names in Latin and German."

"Pa, don't ya think Adam knows what he wants. He loves her, and they don't seem to have that much trouble with their relationship. He seems happier than I can remember, and she smiles a lot too."

"Pa, I have to agree with Hoss. She's not the type of lady I would like, but she's smart, strong, and very capable as well as ambitious. She seems like another version of Adam. And they do look at each other with a lot of love, don't you think?"

Ben still wasn't so sure, and he did wonder why Adam had kept her existence a secret for so long although he had not known that Hoss knew about her. He wondered too about those 'things' that Hoss had mentioned and worried that there was something in her past that might create problems for his son. He hoped they would have a chance to talk before he had to return to the Ponderosa.

The next morning, they were all planning to take a tour of the city to look at potential homes for Adam and Patricia. Adam had several neighborhoods in which he thought they could find something suitable. When they arrived at Adam's apartment building with a rented carriage, they waited but Adam and Patricia did not come outside. Ben volunteered to go up to the second floor flat to see what was keeping them. He knocked and soon after Adam answered the door. He was wearing just his pants and carrying a basin. He told his father to come in but then hurried to the bedroom. Ben walked to the open door to see that Patricia had apparently retched into the chamberpot. Adam closed it, poured some water in the basin, wet a cloth, and gently wiped his wife's face. He pushed her hair back behind her ears and pulled her head onto his shoulder as he knelt beside her. He softly caressed her back and asked if she could stand. With her nod, he helped her stand and then sit on the bed.

"Lay down, sweetheart. I'll be right back." Adam wet the cloth again and laid it on Patricia's forehead before coming out to talk with his father. "She's paying the price for all that spicy food last night. I tried to get her to stop."

"Seems you found yourself quite a stubborn lady."

"Yes, and sometimes she's stubborn in ways she shouldn't be."

"Adam, lots of ladies have morning sickness. It's not her fault."

"She's at six months, Pa. The doctor says it's not morning sickness. He said her stomach is touchy and she should avoid foods that upset her stomach. So spicy foods and fried foods have been on the do not eat list but she persists in thinking she can eat them anyway."

"That's why you were upset with her last night. You knew she would get sick."

"I suspected it could happen. I'm sorry. If you could find something to do for an hour or so, we'll be ready to go."

"I don't want to pressure her to do something if she's not feeling well."

"It's not a problem any more. The offending food is gone. I'll fix her some tea, and she'll be fine in an hour or so."

"This has happened before?"

"A couple of times in just the last two weeks. She thinks she has power over her stomach, but so far, I have seen no evidence to support that theory." Adam smiled a little and headed to his stove to fix some tea.

There was a knock on the door. Ben went to answer it assuming it was Hoss and Joe wondering what was taking them so long. Instead it was a very well dressed couple who demanded to know where Patricia David was. Ben asked who they were.

"I am Thomas David and this is my wife Viola. We've come here to rescue our daughter from the clutches of some money grubbing cowboy who has taken control of her. You wouldn't be that low life, would you?"

"No, that would be me." Adam walked from the kitchen to the bedroom to hand a cup of tea to a wide-eyed Patricia. Adam closed the door.

"Oh, my God, what are they doing here?"

"If I heard correctly, they plan to save you from me. Now I suggest we get dressed and then go out to talk with them."

"I demand to see my daughter!"

"I think you can wait until she gets a chance to dress. You are in my son's home, and you need to remember to show proper respect."

"I will show respect for my daughter, but I hardly think you qualify to give me advice. Patricia, come out here this instant!"

After about ten minutes, the bedroom door opened, and Adam escorted his wife out. Patricia had a grip on his hand that made his fingers hurt. He stood beside her and waited to see what else her parents had to say. He did hear her mother gasp when she saw the obvious baby bump that was getting more and more noticeable each day.

"Father, you are in our home, and I would hope you would respect that and us. I cannot tolerate you speaking to my husband and his father that way."

"You call this flea-bitten hovel a home. This is ridiculous. We can get this foolish marriage of yours annulled and take you back home with us where you can marry a proper gentleman and restore your good name. I will not have this backwoods ruffian sully the family honor." Thomas stepped forward to grab Patricia's arm to pull her away from Adam. He was used to getting his way and bullying anyone who thought they could stand up to his power and wealth, but he had never met anyone like Adam and his father. Adam grabbed Thomas' wrist in a vice grip and held it until he released Patricia's arm.

"Don't ever touch my wife like that again."

"I'll have the law on you for assault."

"I have a witness that there was no assault. You should leave now. We can meet later to talk at a neutral location. Do not return here unless you're invited. Where are you staying?"

There was another knock on the door, and Ben answered to find Hoss and Joe had come up to find why there was such a delay. Thomas muttered that they were at the Lick Hotel.

"That's convenient. My father and brothers are staying there too. We can meet for dinner at about seven. Hoss and Joe, would you please escort Patricia's parents downstairs and outside. They have to go now."

Once Thomas and his wife had left, Ben turned to Adam and Patricia and saw that both were angry. He said that he would be back with Hoss and Joe in an hour to see if they still wanted to go look at houses. Adam nodded and Ben took his leave.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"You were rude to my parents." Patricia was angry but wasn't sure where her anger ought to be directed. Unfortunately the only person there was Adam.

"He insulted my father. He insulted me, and he treated you like property. How exactly was I the one who was rude?"

"Oh, damn it, I don't know. I'm unhappy, I guess, and I need somebody to blame. This wasn't at all like I wanted the meeting with my parents to go. I wanted them to see you all dressed up and looking sophisticated. Instead you were bare-chested and barefoot. How can I convince them that I made a good decision when they think I married a barbarian and you're half –dressed the first time they see you?"

"They barged in on a Saturday morning with no warning. You were sick, and I would have been wearing a shirt except the one I had on smelled pretty bad after you lost some of last night's dinner on me before I could get you to the chamberpot. Maybe if you would have listened to me last night, you wouldn't have been sick, and then I would have been wearing a shirt when they arrived. And how is any of this my fault?"

Patricia started crying then, and Adam was immediately contrite about yelling. He wrapped his arms around her and softly tried to soothe her. He worried that she might choose her father over him in a dispute. After all, their relationship was so new compared to her bonds with her father. He had raised her to be his daughter. The worry for Adam was whether love so new could trump that.

"Sweetheart, what do you want? I'll try to make it happen but tell me what you want."

"I want you and my parents to get along. I want to feel as if I'm part of your family and you're part of mine." Adam frowned and Patricia worried about what he was thinking. "Please try? You said you would try."

"We'll meet your parents for dinner at the Lick at seven. Hopefully by then tempers will have cooled, and we can have a rational and logical discussion."

"I would like that. My father is very smart. I think we can come to an understanding."

"Just know that I will not tolerate him treating you like he owns you. You said you married me because I treat you as an equal. Well your father certainly didn't give either one of us that respect. If he's more civil and respectful at dinner, we can talk."

"Adam, please try to control your temper."

Nodding, Adam was quiet. He had met people like her father when he was in college. He suspected that her father was not going to be any more agreeable at dinner, but he might change his approach and appear to be friendly. Adam knew how well some of the upper class could act as if they were showing respect but were in fact seeking a way to use or undermine you. He wanted to be ready for whatever tactic or strategy was going to be employed to destroy his marriage because he had no doubt that was what was going to happen.

Adam dressed in his best suit and Patricia wore the dress he had bought for her on the day they married. They had gone to dinner that evening to celebrate their nuptials. Now they wore the same clothing but not with as much joy as they had originally. Both were tense as they hailed a hansom to take them to the Lick for dinner. Adam had asked Ben to make the reservations and could tell he wasn't looking forward to more confrontation either. When they arrived, Thomas and Viola were not yet downstairs but Ben, Hoss, and Joe were waiting.

Upstairs, Viola was listening as Thomas explained what he was planning. But as Viola listened, all she could do was stare at the white rolls of flesh on her husbands substantial frame and the paunch that hung over his belt and needed a vest with reinforced buttons to hold back. She remembered the muscular frame of her daughter's husband and the curly hair on his chest that accentuated the masculinity of him. His voice even when angry had the smooth tones that made her want to hear him talk. If he could sing, she thought she would never tire of hearing that voice. Her husband's tinny tones droned on and on with his silly complaints and monumental plans, and she could not care less. Finally he asked her rather abruptly if she was listening. She made her usual response that it was all too much for her brain to understand. Her mother had told her that men preferred women who didn't think too much. Vi had never been able to do that but was masterful at concealing her thoughts. She began to formulate her own plans as she listened to Thomas. Finally she smiled that demure smile he liked for he thought it meant she agreed with him. He handed her a shawl, and opened the door for her. They proceeded together down the one flight of stairs to meet with their daughter and the husband whom Thomas hoped to remove from their family, but Vi suspected that Thomas had met his match in that powerful, intimidating man.

Dinner proceeded very smoothly with Thomas being gracious and Adam being gallant. It would have taken a keen observer to note the slightly elevated tension at the table. Patricia was charming, and Ben was able to appreciate the qualities that must have attracted Adam to her. When it was nearly time for dessert to be served, Vi and Patricia excused themselves. Ben, Hoss, and Joe bid goodnight for they were leaving early in the morning and needed to pack and get a good night's sleep. That left Thomas and Adam alone at the table. Thomas didn't take long to make his pitch.

"I'll give you one hundred thousand dollars to let go of my daughter."

"Well, you are direct. I'll give you that, but my marriage to your daughter is a life long commitment and no amount of money will suffice to make me give that up."

"You're an ambitious man. I can appreciate that. I can increase my offer up to two hundred and fifty thousand. You could have any woman you want with that kind of money."

"I already am married to the woman I want. Do you think of her as only chattel? She's your daughter. I would think you would be more concerned for her happiness than anything else."

"I am concerned for her happiness and her well-being. Oh, you dress up fine for a dinner, but you're a cowboy. You work with your hands. Patricia has been brought up to appreciate the finer things in life, and I want to give her the opportunity to enjoy them again. There are men of station who would be willing to marry her even in the condition she is in at present, but I cannot delay much longer. She cannot continue living in that hovel, and I will not have an illegitimate grandchild."

"No, your grandchild will be legitimate and born to two parents who will love that baby and not worry about social standing."

"You may love her, and she may think she loves you, but what will she think when she learns all about your past. I will expose everything you've ever done. I will destroy you unless you concede."

"You may find that more difficult than you think."

As the two ladies approached the table, Adam and Thomas suspended their conversation, and made small talk to round out the evening. Thomas wanted Patricia to come to their suite, and Adam headed to his father's room because he had the feeling all night that his father wanted to talk with him. Adam was correct.

"Adam, do you need help with this? I can stay longer because Hoss and Joe can go home to take care of things."

"I think we'll be fine. If anything, I may come to you. He tried to buy me off tonight, and then he threatened to destroy me. It may get a bit hot around here before this gets resolved."

"You have really gotten yourself into a mess. I'm not comfortable hearing some of the views that Patricia expressed either. Are you sure she can make a long-term commitment to you with her belief in free love? A lot of those women don't believe in being in a relationship with only one man."

"Patricia believes in free choice more than anything. She chose me and she chose to have our baby. It's all I need to know. I love her, Pa. I won't let anyone or anything take her away from me. I'll fight with everything I have to protect my family."

"Adam, I won't be one of those obstacles. I'll help you any way I can. Don't interpret my worries as disapproval. She loves you. I can tell by the way she looks at you, but he's been her father for much longer than she has known you. You have to be prepared for her to be torn in this. She's going to have a difficult time, and with her being so far along with child, it's going to be even more difficult for her."

"I know, and at this point, I don't have a plan for helping her get through this. I need to think about everything that's happened but it's been so much in such a short time. I'll try to get here in the morning to say goodbye. Right now I need to retrieve my wife before her parents have her packed in a trunk to be shipped back to New York."

"I'm not sure it's both parents you have to worry about. Her mother had quite a different demeanor than her husband. She looked at you like she liked what she saw. Maybe you have an ally in her. But no matter what you do, Adam, remember that new love is fragile. You need to keep that in mind, and a woman with child can be especially emotional, and sometimes they can be very illogical and irrational. I know. I've experienced it. You have a very difficult time ahead of you. Don't hesitate to call on me. Meanwhile, I'll be saying a prayer that this works out all right."

"I can only hope. Now, I have to bid you good night."

When Adam got to the David suite, he heard Thomas talking rather forcefully again. He knocked which stopped that conversation. He insisted that Patricia needed to go for she needed her rest. They bid a huffy Thomas and a smiling Vi a good evening and left.

"Your mother looked happy about something." Adam was worried about what that might have been.

"You made a good impression on Mother. She thinks you're quite attractive, and she said you're strong enough to stand up to Father. I told her that you went to college and that you're working as an architect here hoping to have your own business soon. She was very impressed. I'm hoping she'll talk to Father and try to change his mind about you."

"Your father offered me a quarter of a million dollars to let you go."

"No, he wouldn't do that. You must have misunderstood. Perhaps he meant that as a help to us to get us started out right. He was just talking now about how happy he is that he will finally have a grandchild. He was so pleasant at dinner." Reading Adam's demeanor correctly as she spoke, Patricia's temper rose. "You could be mistaken, you know. You don't know everything, and you only met my parents today."

"Let's not argue. We'll go to church tomorrow, and then see if we can have a pleasant day."

"Does a pleasant day include visiting with my parents and with your father and brothers?"

"My family had to leave. It's a very busy time of year. We've been invited to visit whenever we can. As to spending time with your parents, it really has more to do with them than with me. Will they be civil as they were through most of dinner? I could tolerate that."

"Oh, you could tolerate that, could you? Well maybe you don't need to be with us at all with that attitude. Father and Mother were on their best behavior tonight. I think you could consider doing the same."

Wisely, Adam chose to simply say he would. Once they returned to their apartment, he offered to rub oil on Patricia's stomach. He had seen her rubbing it and assumed it was itching. She said she could do it herself, but he insisted on doing it for her. Her icy demeanor softened as he rubbed circles around her stomach. She wasn't that large yet but the bump was noticeable, and the stretching skin bothered her. The doctor had suggested the oil would help, and it did especially if applied at night. The gentle rubbing soothed Patricia, and she thought the baby probably liked it too.

"I'm sorry if I upset you. It was the last thing I wanted to do. Your father has shown some animosity to me, and it got my back up. I will be as pleasant as I can be for the remainder of their visit."

"Thank you. After church services tomorrow, we can visit and hopefully, my father will begin to understand why I love you so much."

The next day did go rather well. They had lunch together, and talked for most of the afternoon in a park with a garden like setting. It was very calm day for such a busy city. Most of the conversation was Thomas and Vi telling Patricia all about what was happening socially among their family and friends back in New York, and Patricia describing the book she had written and submitted for publication. Thomas asked nothing about Adam's life, but Vi did her best to give Adam a chance to talk about his college years, his work as an architect, and his investments. Vi was pleasantly surprised to find that her daughter's husband seemed well informed about business and banking. She hoped that at least would impress her husband.

By the end of the day, the two women thought progress had been made, but Adam thought he had simply been providing information that would somehow be used against him. He was correct. Thomas had a fantastic memory and planned to spend Monday exploiting all that he had learned. They did part on a friendly note, and Patricia was in a gay mood when they returned to their apartment and began talking again about having a home with a garden by the time the baby was born. Adam smiled and nodded, but he was worried. He found it difficult to sleep that night because of the fear of the unknown. He knew little about Thomas and his business dealings. He resolved to remedy that lack of information the next day hoping that it would give him some insight into what he was facing.

Some of Adam's fears were alleviated the next morning when Vi and Thomas were there smiling in the morning to give him a ride to work and to offer to spend the day with their daughter and learn about the city. Patricia kissed him goodbye outside the building where he worked and climbed back into the carriage with a big grin for him. Adam walked inside not realizing how difficult his day was going to be.

When Adam walked in the office, he wondered what was wrong. The clerk at the front desk turned away, and when he went up to the room where he usually worked, there was a message for him to go to the main offices one flight up. When he got there, he had a sense that something had gone terribly wrong. He thought back on all the work he had done and wondered if there was an error in one of his designs that had caused something awful to happen. When he did find out what was wrong, he was furious for he was sure he knew the source of the problem. He was addressed by the senior partner in the firm.

"Adam, I'm very sorry but we have to let you go. I hate to do it, but we're heavily leveraged right now with a number of projects, and the bank said they would call our loans if you continued to work here after today. We'll pay you for all the work you've done, but I'm sorry that's all we can do. If this settles out, we would be very happy to hire you back. I don't know who you have angered in the banking community, but someone is out to ruin you professionally. I sent a message to one of our competitors telling him of your skills, and he said he had already received a warning not to hire you. I would assume all the firms have been contacted. I'm afraid you've been effectively blackballed as an architect in this city."

Handing over the drawings he had worked on at home, Adam turned and left without a word after being handed a large sum of cash for his work. He realized they didn't even dare hand him a check or draft. They had collected cash so that no one could prove that they had paid him. He made a few stops before returning home. He hoped to have more information soon to help him in this battle. He wondered where Patricia had gone with her parents, and then he began to fear that she was already gone. When he heard steps on the stairs and a key in the lock, he was noticeably relieved.

"Oh, you startled me. I never expected you to be home already. I was thinking I could freshen up. My parents have invited us to dinner this evening. I hope you'll say yes." Seeing the stone faced look from Adam, Patricia started to worry. "What's wrong, and why are you home so early?"

"I was let go today. The firm was warned that if I wasn't fired immediately, their loans would be called. Someone in the banking community has set out to ruin me professionally. Now, who do we know who could pull strings like that in the banking community?"

"Adam, my father was in a rare mood today. He was laughing and enjoying our time together immensely. He said he wanted to have a wonderful time before, before, ... oh, damn."

"What?"

"I just realized that when he said 'we' were going back to New York and smiled at me, he probably thought that it included me. Oh, Adam, I am so sorry. My father can be ruthless. I know that. I remember stories about him when I was growing up. People were afraid of him. They respected him but not for what he was but for what he could do to them if they didn't. What are we going to do?"

"Where did he say he wanted to go to dinner tonight?"

"He said he heard that there's a wonderful restaurant in an old ship that has been converted. He said we could take a tour of one of the tall ships after dinner."

"So that may be his plan."

"What plan? Oh, no, you don't really think he would do that, do you?"

"I don't know what he is capable of doing, but I wouldn't rule anything out. Send a message that we cannot attend dinner tonight because you're not feeling well again. Tell them we'll meet for lunch tomorrow at the Lick. It's a nice neutral place and too big for him to try anything."

Patricia wrote her note, and Adam had it delivered.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The next morning, Adam contacted the men who had said they wanted to work with him but found they had been scared off by the campaign against him. In a dark mood, he returned to the apartment, and he and Patricia left to keep their luncheon date. While at lunch, Adam received a message that a man wanted to see him in the lobby. He excused himself but made sure his pocket pistol was handy, except that wasn't necessary. The detectives he had hired the day before had no information yet on Thomas David but did have other useful information.

"Both of you are being followed. We've seen teams of men following you switching off after several blocks so that you won't realize it."

After giving the detectives more instructions, Adam returned to the dining room to find Patricia had gone very pale. Her mother looked worried, but her father looked triumphant. Adam was getting very concerned because Patricia was six months pregnant and the stress might be adversely affecting her and their baby. During Adam's absence from the table, Patricia's father had talkws to her, and then she knew then that all of Adam's concerns and fears were legitimate as her father had set out to destroy him. He told her if she would get the marriage annulled, they could all travel back east and nothing more would be done to Adam.

"He's young enough. He could rebuild his reputation or go back to working on that ranch his father owns. You however would be back where you belong."

Saying only that she would think about it, Patricia waited for Adam to return. Then she said she again was not feeling well and asked Adam to take her home. Vi watched them leave and wondered what she could do. In her entire life, she had never stood up to a man. She had been taught that it was her place to obey and serve first her father and then her husband. But Thomas was hurting their daughter and might do worse so she began to try to think of what she could do.

As Adam and Patricia rode back to their apartment, she expressed her fear that her father might have her kidnapped if she didn't do as he requested. "Adam, the city is a major port, and my father has lots of money. I could be on a ship and headed out of here before you even knew I was gone. We're smart people. We need to come up with a plan to stop any of his plans from being successful because I know if he has one plan, he has others for unforeseen contingencies. We need to be ready for almost anything."

So Adam told her of his plan and asked if she thought they should do it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her for a kiss. He took that as a yes and began his preparations. He sent messages to people he had contacted the day before. The two of them spent the rest of the day packing all of their belongings. Adam left money to pay off his lease, and wrote a letter to Hoss and another more generic one to his father. That night after midnight, he and Patricia left San Francisco. The detectives he had hired came to their building and parked in the alleyway at the back. Once the carriage was packed and Sport tied to the back of it, Adam snapped the reins to take them out of the city and away from her father.

Five days later, his letters reached Virginia City. When Hoss was in town getting the mail, he picked up a letter addressed to him and one addressed to his father. Both had been opened. Hoss wondered who would have done that. He read his and smiled. He knew what it meant. Riding home as quickly as possible, he handed the other letter to his father. Ben read it and frowned. Adam had said that he had lost his job and explained the reason why without naming names. He said he had no place in the city any more, and had headed out to property a family member owned.

"Are they coming here? If they are, they should be here today or tomorrow. I'm surprised he even wrote a letter because they would travel at about the same speed."

"No, Pa, they're not coming here. I think I know where they're going. Here, read the letter I got from Adam."

_ The gallant knight has taken his steed and his lady in her carriage and struck out for their golden glade for the dragon is breathing fire. To escape the dragon's claws and his horrible breath of destruction, the love struck pair seek a golden glade far from the dragon's lair. Its location in secret can only be reached by pulling down the sheer granite walls with three trills of the whippoorwill and two calls of the woodland deer in love. They shall rest there in their sanctuary under the pink moon and several fortnights more until the arrival of the foretold. Her lady in waiting attends her until that time shall arrive._

Listening intently, Joe whooped and hollered. "That's the best one yet. He's really good at that story telling."

"What in tarnation are the two of you smiling about, and what is that ridiculous letter got to do with anything?" So Hoss and Joe told their father all about the fairy tales and where Adam likely had gone to escape Patricia's father. "Well, why didn't he just come here?"

"Pa, that's exactly what her father would think they would do. He'll probably be here soon trying to put pressure on us to give her up, only we can't cause she ain't here. She's in a pretty little place where she can get ready to have that baby, and Adam gave us a signal to let him know it's us coming in when we get there. I suppose we'll have to wait until her father gets here, and then once we send him on his way, we can go see Adam and Patricia."

"On of you should go now. You know where it is, and you know the signal. I would feel better if one of you was there and made sure they were all right."

It didn't take long for Hoss to volunteer and head out with supplies and things he thought the couple might need or want. He reached the canyon in two days of hard riding, and signaled as instructed. Adam met him as he came out of the narrow defile. The two brothers grinned as Hoss dismounted.

"You seem right happy now."

"Hoss, I am happy. So far we've eluded Thomas, and Patricia has relaxed and is feeling so much better. There's no spicy food here to make her sick, and she gets to write or draw or just take a nap if she wants to. It's a quiet, peaceful place, and that's what she needed."

Hoss saw the truth of that as soon as he saw Patricia. She had good color and smiled brightly. He also had a question. "I saw the carriage camouflaged out there. You want me to take it home until you need it again. Either that or I can pull it to the end of the canyon and hide it better up in that grove of trees."

"I'd rather have it close if we need it, but if you could take it to the end of the canyon, that would be great. Now come on inside. We're about to have lunch."

Wondering how that could be because both Adam and Patricia were outside, Hoss got another surprise. Adam had arranged for one of Hop Sing's cousins to travel with them to help Patricia and to do the cooking and cleaning. She knew very little English but was learning. She was a superb cook though, and Adam and Patricia were treated to some great meals. The cabin was small, so there wasn't much cleaning to do, and with only the three of them, there wasn't much laundry either. Bao Yu was very happy to have this work, and when they moved to the Ponderosa, she looked forward to meeting Hop Sing and the other members of the Chinese community there.

"I was in town two days ago. Thomas is on his way to Virginia City. The detectives I hired are keeping tabs on him for me. It would be helpful if they could contact you. I don't want to go to town any more. I'm worried that he's hired more people, and one of them might spot me."

"Sure, I can do that. Send the info to me, and I'll get here with it whenever there's something important."

Inside the small cabin, Hoss enjoyed a delicious meal. Adam had done some hunting and they had fresh meat. Bao Yu made noodles and served vegetables, noodles, and meat at almost every meal. Hoss brought in the canned goods that Hop Sing had sent along as well as tea and coffee. He got a short list from Adam of things he would like someone to bring. He was hoping his father would come visit for he believed that his father and Patricia would like each other a lot if they got to spend some time together. After a day, Hoss left moving the carriage to the end of the canyon and camouflaging it well. Then he headed home, and that was the same direction that Thomas was headed.

When Thomas had found out that Adam and Patricia had slipped away at night, he was furious. The detectives he had hired were supposed to be watching and reporting all movements. No one had anticipated that they would leave so soon and in the middle of the night as if they knew they were being watched.

"Now he's dragged her off into the wilderness somewhere. I would guess he's gone running home to that ranch his father owns. Well, I won't let a little inconvenience stop me. I'm going there to get her back before it's too late."

"Thomas, do you have any idea how big that ranch is? They are wealthy people out here, and he seems to have a lot of important friends."

"Viola, the only important people out here live in this city. No backwoods ruffian is going to steal my daughter and get away with it. What's he going to do for money anyway now that he's lost his job?"

"Thomas, he didn't need that job for money. He was building his dream, and you destroyed it. I fear you may have made a very dangerous enemy."

"Him? You must be daft. I already showed him what kind of power I have, and he went running away like a dog with his tail between his legs. He's a coward, and he's on the run from me now. My men got a look at the letters he sent. He didn't say much of anything to his father. He must be ashamed of what he's done. He wrote some fairy tale gibberish to his brother."

"Perhaps, he made a strategic withdrawal to protect our daughter and their baby from all the turmoil? Have you thought that perhaps the gibberish might have been a code?"

"Don't endow him with intelligence like that. The man has shown nothing to indicate strength and resourcefulness. This will all be over soon."

Thomas immediately traveled to Virginia City and the Ponderosa demanding to see his daughter and threatening to have Adam charged with kidnapping. Ben let him have it when he showed up.

"No court and no sheriff in this whole country is going to charge a man with kidnapping because he traveled somewhere with his wife. I have to tell you this. If anything happens to them because of what you've done, I will use every penny I have and every contact I have to ruin you. You have systematically worked to destroy my son because he loves your daughter. They are legally married, and they are having our grandchild. I would think that you would prefer that to the lifestyle she was living before. Oh, I bet the papers out east would love to read about that. Your friends would love to read about your daughter's life before she met Adam. I know some people in the newspaper business. Perhaps I ought to grant one of them an exclusive interview. Maybe our friend Mark Twain would like a go at this story."

The mention of Mark Twain was the first hint that Thomas had gotten that got through his snobbery and connected in his temporal lobes. He had a typical easterner's disdain for anything from the west. Suddenly he wasn't as sure of himself as he had been. Ben told him to leave the Ponderosa or be charged with trespassing, and he had little choice but to comply. He wasn't used to being ordered about, but in this case, when Joe mentioned that trespassers could legally be shot, he decided it was best if he left.

When Thomas returned to San Francisco, he hired more detectives to locate his daughter. They made little progress until one thought to check property records in California. A mining claim was found in the name of Patricia David. However, it was in a remote area, and Thomas had to hire men to lead him there. The men were from San Francisco though without experience traveling in the mountains. They could not find the property. Thomas tried to hire a guide in Placerville but apparently there were none for hire because no one there wanted to work for him and against the Cartwrights. Thomas was frustrated. However his men questioned people and did find that Adam and Patricia had been seen together traveling through town, and Adam had been back once for supplies. They decided to wait for him to return again so that they could follow him to the property where they assumed he and Patricia had been staying. Very quickly it seemed, over two months had gone by, and Thomas assumed his daughter was getting close to giving birth. Once she and Adam had that child, he knew it would be impossible to separate her from him. He was getting desperate. He was also getting lonely. He sent for Vi to join him in Placerville.

By then, on the Ponderosa, Ben and Hoss were readying a wagon load of supplies to take to Adam and Patricia. They visited there at least every two weeks. Adam had asked for some lumber, and they were bringing that as well as tar paper, nails, and paint. They planned to help Adam add a room to the cabin. It was not a long-term solution, but it would make a nice getaway or hunting cabin once they were settled in the home Adam was designing. He and Patricia had decided to relocate to the Ponderosa once the baby was born, but wanted their own home. Adam planned to start an architectural firm on a small scale in Virginia City.

"Joe sent a telegram from Placerville. Thomas is still at the hotel, but now Vi has joined him. It must be quite lonely for an eastern snob among the ordinary hard working people of Placerville."

"When's Joe coming back? I'm getting tired of doing all the chores myself."

"Once the baby is born, Adam and Patricia want to come here. I assume that at some point, Thomas will give up. He is a stubborn man though so I hope Patricia is right and he'll give up once the baby is born." Ben and Adam had decided that sending Joe to keep an eye on Thomas was a good idea. Thomas was unlikely to recognize Joe who was told to keep a low profile as he watched over Thomas and monitored what he was doing. Thomas never noticed him, but Vi was more observant and saw Adam's younger brother several times. She assumed he was watching her husband so they could be ready if Thomas decided to take some action.

Early one morning, Joe was awakened by a knock on his door. He grabbed a pistol and asked who it was. "Joseph, it's Viola David. May I come in?" So Joe opened the door and gestured for her to enter.

"I won't help you find my brother."

"I was hoping you would do exactly that. I want to be with my daughter when she has that baby. I gave my husband an emetic this morning in his breakfast. He is very ill. I went to get the doctor and asked if he could give my husband a sedative so that he could sleep because he's been throwing up so much. He's sleeping now, and the doctor left another dose for him for later. Now that he's out of the way, can we go see my daughter and her husband?"

"I'll have to check out your story first."

"Of course. We can go as soon as you're fully dressed." Vi waited until Joe buttoned his shirt and pulled on his boots. Then they walked across the street to the best hotel in Placerville. Joe could smell the truth of her story as soon as she opened the door to their room. Thomas was asleep in the bed. Joe called his name a few times and there was no movement.

"What about the detectives he has working for him?"

"I paid them off this morning. My husband had plenty of cash in his wallet. I even paid them a handsome bonus. I told them that we had given up and would be returning home. Now, did I take care of everything?"

"You certainly did. Can you ride?"

"I'm afraid I only know how to ride sidesaddle. Is there a chance that I could find such a saddle here?"

"We'll manage. Now pack up whatever clothing you want. Make sure to bring a jacket or coat. In the mountains, it can get very cool."

Within an hour, Vi was on her way to see her daughter. She had a huge grin. For the first time in her life, she had defied a man in her family. She felt liberated and decided to worry about the consequences of her actions later.

In the cabin in the glade with the secret spring, Adam was still in bed when Joe and Vi began their trek from Placerville. Normally he was up and dressed as the sun came up, but the previous night and that morning, Patricia had wanted to make love. Adam knew that the doctor had told them that having relations in the last month could cause labor and an early delivery. They thought they might have two weeks to go yet, but they couldn't be sure. Adam had been unable to resist her for they had not had relations in a month. When she made her advances, he succumbed. Then early that morning, she had awakened him with a touch and seduced him again. Adam rested on his side as Patricia spooned into him. He caressed her stomach and she smiled. She had asked him often if he still found her desirable even with her huge swollen stomach. His attention to her and his obvious enjoyment of their time together was more reassuring than any words he had. She felt loved, and that was what was most important to her. The doctor had told her that this could start labor. She had felt some discomfort the previous day, and Bao Yu in her broken English had told her that it would be soon. She had decided to hurry it along a bit if she could.

Finally Adam got out of bed and dressed. Patricia said she wanted to stay in bed and rest a bit after the exercise and grinned at him. So Adam went outside to do chores and chop wood as he usually did every morning. He was expecting his father and Hoss, and wanted to be sure everything looked good. He finished clearing the area where the new room would go and cut an opening for a door. He set some cornerstones, and everything was ready for building. Patricia sat on the porch. Adam was a little concerned with how pale she was, but she assured him that everything was fine. Late that afternoon, when he heard the whippoorwill trills and the call of a mating elk, he assumed it was his father and Hoss arriving. He walked to the trail to help because they would have to unload the wagon and carry everything in. He was shocked to see his brother Joe and Patricia's mother ride through the opening instead.

"Hey, older brother. It seems you've won over half of Patricia's parents."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Mother, you didn't?" Patricia was shocked at hearing that her mother had given her father an emetic and then had the doctor give him a sedative.

"Oh, yes, I did. He's been needing a good cleaning and a rest for some time now."

"What did you use?"

"Well, I was reading in one of your books about medicinal properties of plants so I went to the Chinese shops and asked for something to use and how much to use. They were very helpful. I told them my husband needed a good cleaning out so they said they added something to help him with the other form of elimination as well." Vi had the good grace to blush at her audacity at this point, and Adam broke out in laughter.

The sound of whippoorwills and elk mating calls sent Adam and Joe to the trail to greet Hoss and their father. Adam was surprised to see Hop Sing with them but Ben said he insisted on coming with them. They spent the next hour hauling food, lumber, and building supplies in. While it was still light, they framed up the new room and put in a floor. Inside the house, Hop Sing and Bao Yu prepared a lavish dinner. After dinner, Adam and Joe got busy and roofed the new room. The next day, they would add the siding and put in the interior walls. Then they would put in the bed that Adam had constructed. By the end of the next day, the cabin would have a spacious new bedroom for Adam and Patricia and their baby.

"It's going to be a bit crowded here tonight. Pa, you can use the small bedroom. Bao Yu and Viola will bed down in the main room by the fireplace using the mattress for the new bed. Hop Sing, Hoss, and Joe, I'm sorry but all that's left is the new room or the loft in the stable."

"I reckon we can lay our bedrolls in the new room. It's got a roof in case it rains, and we'll be close by as soon as breakfast is cooking."

"Hoss, are you always hungry?"

"Joe, I ain't always hungry, but I worked hard today, and I gotta rebuild my energy."

Adam had a suggestion. "How about popcorn? We can pop some in the fireplace."

So there was popcorn and singing. Adam shared some remarkable good news with everyone. With not enough work to do, Adam had busied himself with exploring the canyon. On one such hike, Adam found a vein of gold in the canyon, and in talking with Patricia, found she owned about a one square mile section that included that spot. Adam had done more exploring of her property then and had located other likely spots for mining. Adam discussed with Ben and the others what they could do to take advantage of the find and keep the property as a getaway. That conversation continued until it was time for everyone to get some sleep. In the middle of the night, Patricia poked Adam several times to wake him. When he finally awakened, he was still groggy until he heard the word 'baby' and then he was wide-awake.

"Now? The baby is coming now?"

"Yes, and if you could get out of bed, I could use some help here." Realizing that sounded a bit harsh, she softened her approach. "If you could tell Bao Yu and my mother, I would appreciate that very much."

"But the baby isn't supposed to come for two more weeks."

"The baby has decided that now is the right time. I felt things changing over the last two days so I'm not surprised. Bao Yu has acted as a midwife many times she said, and she told me two days ago that it was close. Now go tell them." And then Patricia curled up in a fetal position as another contraction hit and for the first time was very painful.

Adam jumped out of bed and pulled on his pants buttoning them up as he left the bedroom and moved to wake the two ladies. Hop Sing was already up and filling a kettle with water. Somehow he always knew these things and Adam had given up trying to figure out how he did it. Looking at Adam, Hop Sing had a few words to say.

"I come with Mister Ben because I know I needed. Now you get on shirt and help Missy. She need you now more. You sit. Talk. Hold hand. We do all other things."

With all the commotion, Ben was soon awake. When he came out to see Hop Sing boiling water as well as washing a scissors and some string, he knew what had happened. Vi came out to get some towels and went back into the bedroom telling Ben that everything was going very well but that his son was a nervous wreck.

"His mother died soon after he was born. I thought he would be more worried with only two weeks to go, but he was keeping it under control very well. He was probably trying to spare Patricia any additional stress. Now he's got no reason to hide it."

"It's rather unconventional but Patricia wants him there for the birth. Of course that girl seldom has done anything the way it's expected so I'm not that surprised. She said he put it in there so he could just as well watch it come out. Only she didn't say it anywhere near that politely. Adam tolerates an awful lot from my daughter."

"He loves her."

Smiling, Vi nodded. "Yes. Yes, he does, and she loves him just as deeply. They are two very lucky people to have found that much love to share. Now I need to get back in there before our two 'doctors' scold me for delaying."

"How is it going for Patricia?"

"Very well, I think. The baby may be a bit small according to Mr. Hop, but that will make the delivery somewhat easier. I think that we have just a couple of hours to wait."

A scream made Vi hurry back into the bedroom, and awakened Hoss and Joe who made their way into the house wondering what was happening. Ben told them that Patricia was having the baby, and they asked where Adam was. Ben said he was with Patricia.

"Ain't the father supposed to wait out here?"

"Hoss, your brother and his wife do not do things as expected."

Inside the bedroom, Bao Yu wanted Patricia in more of an upright position. She had Adam sit on the bed behind her and hold her against him. Patricia leaned back into him between contractions. Bao Yu and Hop Sing were very encouraging telling her that the baby was getting close and a few more pushes would deliver the precious infant. The pain made time seem to take so much longer but suddenly the last contraction ended with relief. Patricia looked down to see a baby in Bao Yu's hands. Hop Sing moved in with a receiving blanket and wrapped it loosely about the baby before placing the child against Patricia's chest.

"You hold tight. Almost done. Baby good, very good."

Patricia was worried though. "I thought babies were supposed to cry when they're born?"

"Not all babies cry. You got nice quiet one."

The baby was squirming and pursing his lips, but there was no cry. The silence from the room unnerved everyone waiting outside until Hop Sing left with the afterbirth and soiled linens.

"Baby boy. He healthy. Mother and father good."

Ben pushed the door open more. "Is it all right if we come in?" He had tears in his eyes seeing Adam sitting against the headboard with an arm wrapped around his wife who was holding their baby. With his other hand, Adam was caressing his baby's back.

"Come in. Everyone can come in for a minute to meet Christopher David Cartwright."

After everyone got a good look at the baby and congratulated the parents, Vi made them leave saying that mother and child needed to be cleaned up. An hour later, Adam came out to see his father and brothers. He had a big grin. "Sorry if we don't have any cigars or champagne, but how about some coffee and biscuits to celebrate?"

Hoss liked the idea. "Now that's my way to celebrate!"

As Vi helped Patricia with the baby, the men ate breakfast. Then Adam brought a tray of food to his wife. Hop Sing and Bao Yu had prepared some soft scrambled eggs with a biscuit laden with preserves and a cup of tea. When Adam opened the door, he nearly cried to see his son suckling. It was a sight that he found never grew old. He looked on it each time as a magnificent event. Vi left to have breakfast as Patricia handed over the baby who was soon asleep in his father's arms. Patricia felt such pride in her family then, but a shadow passed over her face when she thought of her father. Adam guessed that the sad look was because of Thomas but wisely said nothing about him.

Over the next two days, the new room was finished and the bed installed. All of Adam and Patricia's things were moved in there. Plans were made for moving Adam and his family to the Ponderosa, and Ben made sure that Vi knew that she was welcome to stay there as a guest as well. Soon, there was a lot of packing and planning. Life seemed so good except no one could forget that Thomas was still out there, and now they had no one watching him so they had no idea what he was doing.

"Well, the boys and I can head on home. We do still have a ranch to run. Bao Yu, you're welcome to come with us to the Ponderosa." Hop Sing explained it to her, and she smiled and nodded. "That way, Viola can use the small bedroom, and Adam and Patricia and the baby can use the new room. We'll be back in a few days to help get Patricia and the baby to the Ponderosa."

"Pa, I was planning to come too if you don't mind." Adam was amused at his father taking charge of his grandson and daughter-in-law.

"Well, of course you will. I was just trying to work out the logistics of travel." At first, Ben had thought Adam was perturbed but that hint of a grin he had indicated otherwise. He was enjoying all of this.

Within weeks, the Ponderosa was bustling with activity. Adam had moved back into his old room, but now had Patricia and Chris with him. Vi was staying in a guest room. Bao Yu, who was learning about American cooking and baking from Hop Sing, occupied the downstairs guest room. The two of them were not actually related. Adam explained it to his wife and her mother.

"It is easier for Chinese to enter the country if they have a relative here already. So there are many paper sons and paper cousins. The only connection they have is a piece of paper that says they are related. They can buy those for a fee before they ever leave China. Hop Sing's family has been instrumental in getting people into this country claiming to be relatives of his so he has hundreds of 'cousins' here. None are actually his cousins even though he has become close to some of them. Bao Yu entered the country posing as a boy because females are not allowed to enter unless they are married to a merchant or other wealthy Chinese. The leaders of the Chinese community in San Francisco were happy that we were willing to hire her as a cook and housekeeper because they were afraid what unscrupulous men might do with her in the city. Because of Hop Sing, they trust us."

Noticing how close Hop Sing and Bao Yu were getting and the looks they exchanged when they thought no one was looking, Adam mentioned that he thought he should build his house closer than he originally intended. "If I don't, one of us is likely to lose a cook and housekeeper." For just a moment, Ben wondered what Adam meant but then smiled. He was happy that his long time friend seemed to have found someone who might like to share his life.

The tranquility of a happy but busy family was interrupted by the arrival of Thomas David. He had found that his wife was on the Ponderosa and had come to get her. At least this time he had the law on his side. Once he was at the ranch house, he first confronted his wife.

"I can't believe you left me there alone when I was so ill. I know you love your daughter, but that was not acceptable. I could have died."

Patricia was going to say something, but Adam pinched her arm just enough to get her attention. She looked at him in annoyance, but he just shook his head at her and told her not to say anything. What her father said next explained why Adam had acted that way.

"I have no idea what made me so sick. The doctor said I must have eaten something that didn't agree with me. I couldn't leave that room for two days, and by then, those men I hired had left town. I had no idea where you were but assumed you had gone after Patricia. Now that we've found her, perhaps we can work out a satisfactory solution to this mess."

Adam picked up the other side of the conversation there. "There is no mess. I have a wife and son, you have a grandson, and that's all there is to it. We will live here, and I will take care of my family."

"You are an upstart, and you will not speak so disrespectfully to me. I run one of the largest banks in the country. You work on a ranch. There is hardly a comparison in status to be made there, so you ought to be more cognizant of your place. I know I cannot get my daughter to leave you now that you have that baby together, but do not cross me. I still can ruin you, and then how long will she stay with you?"

"I don't think you'll ruin me. I have a lot of friends and family to help me. However you might want to head home while you still have a bank to run. It seems that some friends of mine are interested in your bank and especially in your depositors."

"Who could you possibly know who would have any interest in my profession or the ability to do anything about it?"

"Oh, did I mention that while I was in college I needed jobs during the summer to help pay for my education. I spent one summer in Hartford tutoring a young boy. John needed some help with math concepts that his teachers weren't equipped to handle. John, or JP as he is called, has a very talented mind. He's working his way into the family business today. I sent him a telegram and asked him about bank takeovers and mentioned a bank whose principal officer has been away for months and spending money with abandon. His father, Mr. Morgan, liked me and appreciated what I did for his son. He always said I could call on him if I needed help. Meanwhile, Patricia has set up a deposit of the money she's going to be earning from her gold claim into one of JP's family-owned banks. That made him quite happy too. In San Francisco, Mr. Crocker however isn't too happy with you and your activities. I was working on a house design for him when I was fired. He liked the preliminary work, but now I'm not there to finish the plans. Mr. Crocker isn't someone you would like as an enemy."

Turning more and more pale with each revelation, Thomas had nothing left to say at first. His wife had been correct. He had unleashed a powerful adversary and had not realized the dangers of his chosen strategy. Ben sat silently in his chair on the porch and listened. He understood now that the explosion he had expected when Adam and Thomas met again wasn't going to happen. Adam had defeated Thomas, at least for the time being, with the same type of style he used in chess. He worked hard to set up an elaborate plan, and often by the time you realized it, all there was left to do was concede or wait for the last move and hear a soft 'checkmate' from Adam. While he kept you occupied with small moves near your pieces even losing some of his, he would set up a long-range ambush with no escape. While Thomas had focused on attacking Adam locally and trying to get his daughter away from him, Adam had pulled in help from a number of sources far away mindful of the whole board and not just the locality where he was being attacked. Thomas really had no choice but to concede at this point. He would be ruined if he didn't.

"This isn't over. No one treats me like that and gets away with it."

"Please, no more threats. If you want to see your daughter and grandson, you need to improve your manners and behavior."

"I will not be lectured by a wilderness ruffian no matter how many people you have fooled into thinking you somehow belong to the right class. I will ruin you no matter what it takes."

"Should you succeed, you would also be ruining your daughter's life and that of your grandson. Is it really that important to you?"

"Viola, get your things. We're leaving."

Hesitant at first, Vi was emboldened by the looks of the Cartwrights who all hoped she could make progress where Adam had failed. "No, Thomas, I will not go with you under these circumstances. You may divorce me if you wish, but I want you to remember that then I will have no reason to keep your secrets."

Thomas was utterly and thoroughly defeated, but he didn't know how to react. That had never happened to him before. He had always had means, legal or otherwise, to defeat an opponent no matter how strong they appeared to be, but too many things were stacked against him in this situation. He could not win, and yet did not know how to concede. Ben stepped in to help assuming that a member of the eastern social elite would know how to play chess.

"Thomas, if you were in a chess match, and the opponent's queen and bishop had the angle on your king, and you can't back up because a rook is there to take the king from the corner nor can you go forward because there is a knight ready to pounce, what would you do?"

"Well, of course, I would concede. There is no other option." Everyone waited as Thomas mind swirled with all that had happened. "I concede."

Adam was gracious. "You can come inside then to see your grandson then. He's sleeping so you won't be able to hold him."

"I wasn't planning on holding him. I've never held a baby in my life."

"You never held your daughter?" Ben was astounded. Holding his precious gifts for the first time were some of his most fond memories. He could not imagine never having held them.

"That's women's work. That's what I was taught. My father never touched any of us, and so of course, I followed his example with my daughter."

Joe had to pipe in then. "There were a few touches I could have done without, but Pa's hand on my shoulder when I need it is one of the best things in the world."

"Perhaps if I had had a son, it could have been different."

Vi stepped to her husband's side. "You have a son now. He's really quite a remarkable man. You should get to know him."

Taking a deep breath and expelling it forcefully, Thomas looked at his wife. "How can I ever look at him as a son. He's ruined me financially. We'll have to sell the house. I don't know who will hire me once the Morgans have taken control of our bank. We should leave now."

"Yes, but first I need to get my things. And don't you want to at least look at your grandson?"

"I'll look, but don't expect that it will make any difference. He's won this round, but this fight isn't over yet. He should not underestimate me."

"Thomas, you have to promise that you will not instigate any trouble. I won't go with you unless you promise."

Regarding his wife with a critical eye, Thomas nodded for he could see how serious she was about that threat. He wasn't sure what he would do, but a little lie such as the one he had just told his wife was a minor thing to him requiring no significant thought. In business, little lies were told often and big lies were told when necessary. For now, he would play along. He would have to rebuild his reputation and his power. When he did, he planned to give Adam Cartwright a lesson in humility after he reminded his wife to keep her proper place.

Inside the house, Ben stood at Adam's side and they talked quietly. "He's not done with you yet."

"I know. I can only hope that a continent between us will be enough."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"You named him Christopher David Cartwright? You included our family name?" Thomas stood looking down at his grandson.

"Yes, of course. He's part of two families now as I am." Patricia smiled and hoped her father's heart could melt a little. He could be a ruthless man, but his efforts to bring her back home had convinced her that he did care even if it was a bit convoluted. He cared and wanted the best for her, but also wanted to preserve the family status by ensuring that. He had thought that Adam did not fit the requirements for a suitable husband for his daughter, but Patricia hoped he would reconsider after all that he had learned.

"Isn't he rather small?"

"All babies are small. He was rather small at birth, but he's been growing fast. He's seems to get longer almost every day. Would you like to hold your grandson?"

"I thought you said I couldn't hold him because he was sleeping?"

"We can make an exception. You may not see him again for a while, and I would like you to have held him at least once."

"I wouldn't know what to do."

"I can show you. I've learned a lot about babies in the last month. Now sit in that chair and put your arms out like this." Patricia showed him what she wanted. "Now you have to make sure to support his head at all times so I'm going to settle him in your arms with his head resting in the crook of your arm. Ready?"

At Thomas' nod, Patricia gently lifted her baby and made sure he was wrapped tightly in his blanket. She settled him in Thomas arms and waited for the reaction. Standing at the door, Adam and Vi held their breath. They weren't at all sure of what Thomas would do or say. What he did surprised them all. In a gentle whisper, he addressed the sleeping infant.

"Hello, Christopher David. You're going to have the best of both worlds if I have any say in the matter. When you're ready for school and travel, I'll be there with whatever you need."

Adam had left, and Vi and Patricia wondered where he had gone, but he was back quickly with a sketch book in hand. As Thomas sat in the chair holding his grandson, Adam quickly sketched the scene. He didn't add much detail thinking he could do that later. While she watched him draw, Patricia was thinking that if he could stencil a canvas for her, she could paint the scene too. She usually drew and painted plants but was willing to try painting a portrait of her father and her son. Adam nudged Vi to go stand by her husband, and she quickly moved understanding what Adam wanted her to do. He had left a space in his sketch and now added Vi to the scene. Patricia felt a tear slip down her cheek as she watched. Thomas felt his heart softening and didn't like the feeling. He had always gotten what he wanted with power and influence. He wasn't about to let a eight pound human being get the best of him.

"Well, there, now I've done it. Patricia, you may have him back. Viola, we need to get going. I want to make travel arrangements, and we'll have to go to San Francisco first and get our things there."

"You were staying at the Lick. I'm sure they would crate your things and ship them here if you just send a telegram." Adam knew that Patricia wanted more time to work on her father. Thomas knew it too, but he hoped to work on a few business matters while in the city so he declined. Vi shrugged and followed him out. Patricia caught up to her after handing the baby off to Adam.

"Mother, you could stay if Father has to come back this way anyhow."

"Patricia, dear, I think it best if I go with him. I can try to keep an eye on him. Now that I've asserted myself a bit, I may need to do more so that he doesn't think he can regain control of me." At Patricia disbelieving look, Vi added an amendment to her statement. "I won't put anything in his food again, but having him worry about that a bit could be useful too."

As Vi went to pack, Patricia went back to the bedroom because she could hear Chris mewling a bit. She found that Adam had changed his diaper. Handing Chris to Patricia, Adam smiled down at their son.

"I don't think I can do anything else about what he needs. He seems hungry again." Closing the door, Adam lounged on the bed and watched Patricia nurse their baby. He loved watching this, but it was getting to be almost more than he could handle watching her bare her breasts for their son. It had been a month. He watched her, and when she finished, she carefully laid Chris in his cradle and covered him before buttoning up her dress.

"He always wants to sleep after he nurses. I wonder if that's normal."

"I don't know if it's normal, but it is certainly convenient." Adam had stepped close to Patricia and when she turned toward him, they were inches apart. Adam began unbuttoning the shirtwaist dress that she had just buttoned. ""It's been four weeks. Perhaps you would be willing to offer some succor to your husband who has been waiting patiently for a chance to show his wife how much he loves her?" He slipped his hands inside her dress and pulled her close for a kiss. She was more than willing to give lovemaking a try. With all the pent up passion, it didn't take long. They were wrapped in each other's arms and Adam was promising a more sensuous session that night when a knock at the door let them know that Patricia's parents were about to leave. They hurriedly straightened their clothing and headed downstairs fooling no one.

As Adam walked down the stairs with Patricia, Ben and Thomas were frowning, but Vi smiled at her daughter and Adam. She was so happy that her daughter had found such a loving man. Now she would have to work on Thomas. Seeing him hold Chris had let her know there was some warmth in the man. She had to find a way to get him to let it out. She wondered at making love in the middle of the day. It made her daughter glow and Adam looked quite relaxed. Perhaps she could induce Thomas to try that sometime instead of a quick release for him and then having him roll over to snore. Now that she was thinking more like her daughter, all sorts of possibilities seemed to be popping into her head. She was thinking that life could be far more interesting than it had been for her. Before packing her things, Vi had freshened up and changed into clothing more suitable and comfortable for travel in the west. Her daughter had helped her pick out a few new items of clothing. When Thomas saw her in the western style shirtwaist dress, his eyebrows went up in disapproval but she had noted too that he kept looking at her and seemed to appreciate what he saw. Without all the extra petticoats, the hoop, the bustle, and a jacket, her natural charms were far less camouflaged.

That night as Thomas and Vi took a hotel room in Reno, she suggested they might like to take a bath and have dinner in their room. Thomas was agreeable to the bath but shocked when Vi suggested they bathe together. However he did manage to get over the surprise and enjoyed that adventure. Vi and Patricia had talked and Patricia had mentioned once how much she liked to bathe with Adam. Vi had been a bit scandalized to hear her daughter talk that way until Patricia laughed and said she wouldn't talk about all the other things they did. That got Vi wondering, and one night there was a book on her bedside table when she retired for the evening. She opened it and closed it quickly seeing some artwork that had never been talked about at her finishing school nor had she seen anything like it on her grand tour. She couldn't help herself though and opened the book several times but closed it every time the images got her heart racing. She had never heard of men and women doing these things, but if the artists had created such works, it must happen. When she packed to leave, she made sure to leave the book on the bedside table just as she had found it even though she had studied some of those images every night becoming more and more comfortable with the practices depicted. If she was going to get her husband to change his ways, she thought being a bit more adventurous with him might help.

On the Ponderosa, life returned to a more normal routine although having a lady and a baby in the house meant that there was a new normal. Ben loved it. He got to hold his grandson at least once a day and often got to hold him far more than that. Chris seemed to sleep a lot, but Doctor Martin said he was growing very fast and needed his sleep. He said some babies naturally sleep more than others. Almost every morning, Adam walked down the stairs with Chris and deposited him into his grandfather's arms. Dry, clean, fed, and well rested, the mornings were the best time. Chris was beginning to notice people and smile. A few weeks later, Ben's heart felt like it was going to burst the first time Chris smiled up at him.

"It could be gas, Pa. He smiles a lot when he's farting."

"No, son, that smile was just for me. My grandson knows that his grandfather loves him very much."

"I wish we could say the same about his other grandfather."

"Have you heard from them at all?"

"Nothing, and that makes me nervous. I don't know what he could be up to, but I'm worried about what he could be planning. I thought they would already be headed back east, but it's been weeks and there's no word of anything. I would feel a lot more comfortable with him in New York and the width of a continent away from us."

"Will they stop here on the way?"

"Again, I don't know. I would hope they would, but Thomas made no promises. He did seem anxious to get to San Francisco and not just to pick up his belongings. He had something on his mind."

"I had that same impression." The conversation ended at that point as Patricia came down the stairs, and Hoss and Joe came inside from doing chores.

Moving to the fireplace to warm up, Hoss mentioned the weather situation. "It's mighty cold out there for a fall day. I'm thinking there might be an early snowstorm building up in the mountains. Probably gonna catch some travelers unawares."

"Yeah, Pa, we better hurry up and move the rest of the cattle from the high pastures down to the lower ones before any of them get stranded up there." Joe had joined Hoss in front of the fire and stoked it up a bit.

Thinking about what he had heard, Adam laid out a plan. "If Hoss and Joe can take a crew to the northeast hills, I can take another one to the northwest. We should be able to move the cattle that are still up there down in just a couple of days. Then I'd like to ride to Patricia's property to see how the mining is going and board up the cabin for the winter. With the weather like it is, we probably won't get there again until spring." Hoss and Joe nodded. That would work for them too. Ben had one more suggestion though.

"I'll ride with you, Adam. I'd like to get out of the house one last time before the snows hit too. I'd like to see how you set up those open stope mines too."

"They're nothing too elaborate, but you're welcome to come with me and take a look. It doesn't require much engineering to do one of those. As long as the men are careful with the dynamiting, it's easy pickings. They haul the ore out in wagons. When they've finished with each vein, there will be three wide openings into our canyon. I was thinking of putting a fence across each opening to keep our horses from wandering out, but it will mean more game can get in too. We'll be able to drive a wagon in there which will make things a lot more convenient."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to a hunting trip where we got a nice cabin and soft beds to come back to every night." Hoss had a dreamy look on his face with that thought.

"Well, let's get started with the cattle today. If snow is building in the mountains, we could have a problem within a couple of days. Let's get some breakfast and then get organized."

Patricia looked worried. Adam reassured her that he would be back in a week, and that Hoss and Joe would be back within two days probably and no more than three days. "Hop Sing is here and there will be a few hands around too. You stayed in that cabin of yours mostly all alone for two years. Surely a week won't be that hard for you."

"I didn't have a baby then."

"You'll be fine. I'll be back as soon as I can. I finished that sketch on canvas you wanted. You could work on that."

Grateful to have something to do that would keep her busy, Patricia smiled a little. She knew that she would have to get used to Adam being gone sometimes, but this was the first time it had happened. She hoped nothing would go wrong while he was away. After breakfast, she helped Hop Sing pack up food packs for them, and she slipped a little note in Adam's saddlebags. She kissed him goodbye, and he leaned down and kissed his son on the forehead.

"Sweetheart, in a week, we have a date." Grinning, Adam mounted up on Sport and wheeled his horse to ride out after his father and the other men.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Do you want to bar the door too?" Ben was hammering in the last of the nails on the boards covering the windows of the cabin at Secret Spring.

"Yes, I have a plank in the stable that should work well for that. I'll get it, and then we can go."

"Patricia will be happy to see you a day early. If we leave today, we can be home by late tomorrow. With the way those clouds look, that's a good idea."

"I know she was worried about taking care of Chris by herself. I want to get home as soon as I can. The miners are all headed to town, and won't be back until spring. Most of the best ore is gone so we don't have to worry about some itinerant outfit moving in here to take over. What's left won't take more than a month to get. Patricia made a sound investment when she bought this claim for fifty dollars."

"She's a very resourceful woman. She reminds me a lot of Inger except for the more liberal views on men and women that she has. You know, they say that sons marry women like their mothers and daughters marry men like their fathers, but Patricia isn't like Elizabeth."

"Oh, and I'm like Thomas?" Ben was concerned until he looked over to see Adam's small smile.

"Well, you are both rather stubborn and like to get your way. You're both intelligent and resourceful. Yes, you do have some of the same characteristics, except you are also highly moral and ethical, and Thomas could use quite a few lessons in that regard, I'm afraid."

Thinking for a time, Adam had a theory. He leaned against a porch support. "I never knew my mother. Perhaps that's why my wife resembles the mother I remember. Ma came into our family when I was still very young. Almost from the moment I met her, I loved her with all my heart. She was destined to be a mother. She was strong, capable, and determined. She ran that store very well if I remember correctly. She loved nature. I remember her standing in a meadow carpeted with new blooms. She stood with her eyes closed as she breathed in the heavenly smell of fresh flowers. She taught me to appreciate the natural beauty all around me. I do remember her going toe-to-toe with you a few times too."

"Yes, Inger was never shy about sharing her thoughts with me. Your mother was like that too except she had a much more subtle way of communicating any displeasure. She held a lot back until sometimes I had to drag it out of her. You're like that too. You have a lot of qualities like your mother, but you're right in comparing Patricia to Inger. They are a lot alike. Now if you go get that plank, we can be on our way."

Grinning, Adam went to get the plank, and once it was secured across the door, father and son headed home. They got to the far western line shack that night and woke in the morning to snow covering the ground. After a hasty breakfast, they packed up and headed home hoping that the snow would remain light. It didn't and as they rode, Adam eventually suggested a rope between them so the wouldn't get separated. Adam had to yell to be heard above the wind that was whistling through the trees.

"I've given Sport the lead. I'm sure he knows where home is. I can't see anything familiar. We've got hours left to go though. Grab this rope. We'll stay closer together this way. If you slow down for any reason, I'll know right away."

Nodding was about all that Ben could do. The heavy wet snow and the cold wind had sapped a lot of his energy. He handed over the lead to Adam and Sport without any qualms. He knew his son would get them home.

On the Ponderosa, Patricia paced around the house for most of the day. She had finished her painting and Chris still slept a lot which gave her far too much time to worry. The letter from her mother had unnerved her a bit, and she wanted to talk with Adam about it. Now the snow was swirling around the house, and Hoss had let slip that travel in such weather could be treacherous. He had hastily amended his statement to say that his father and older brother knew how to handle themselves in such conditions, but Patricia had sensed his concern as well as Joe's even though he said nothing about it. They had strung a rope line from the house to the stable and helped Hop Sing get the chickens into coops in the stable as well. A few chickens had ended up in the kitchen for tonight's dinner because Hop Sing said they didn't give enough eggs to justify the feed they would eat over the winter months. Except he had been far more colorful in his description and Patricia smiled as she remembered that scene. Hoss noticed.

"Did you remember something funny?"

"Yes, I was thinking about Hop Sing chasing down a few of those chickens. 'Eat much and little eggs. Bad chicken! Only good for eating.' That was funny to hear him talking to the chickens as if they needed to understand what he was doing and why."

"It's funny, but animals may not understand your words, but they seem to understand your meaning. Those other chickens were a lot easier to catch and put in coops than them ones he was intending to fix for dinner."

"Do you talk to animals too?"

"Course I do. We all do. Course Adam is just as likely to sing to em as talk to em, but I've heard a few colorful conversations he's had with animals. I talk to Chubb all the time. He even seems to understand me sometimes."

"Yeah, remember when Buck kicked him in the leg when he was shoeing him. Adam let loose with some colorful language that time. Buck never fights him now though when he needs a new shoe. I think hearing that once from Adam was enough."

Seeing how the anecdotes were helping Patricia relax, Hoss and Joe started telling as many stories as they could remember about Adam's exploits. Patricia was laughing and enjoying hearing all of those tales. She planned to have a lot to tease Adam about when he got back. That thought made her worry again though. Hoss saw the change in her expression.

"What ya thinking now?"

"I was thinking of how much fun it will be to tease Adam about these things, but then I remembered that he has to get home in this snowstorm first."

"They mighta stayed at Secret Spring instead or stopped at a line shack. They might not be home for days."

"Oh, Hoss, I'm going to worry until I see him walk through that door. I do hope and pray that they're safe no matter where they are."

Hoss wrapped an arm around Patricia's shoulders, and she leaned into the big man grateful for the support. Hop Sing yelled then that dinner was ready. The three went to the table and were surprised to see five place settings instead of three. Joe shrugged when he looked at Hoss. They sat down as Hop Sing brought out platters of chicken, biscuits, and roasted potatoes and vegetables. He set a bowl of preserves by the plate Adam would use if he were there. A tear slid down Patricia's cheek when she saw that. As they began to eat, the front door crashed open and the wind blew snow into the house.

"Dadburnit, now how did that happen?"

Hoss stood to go to the door to close it, and what he saw caused him to yell for Joe and Patricia. Adam was struggling to help Ben into the house. Hoss took his father's arm and draped it over his shoulder relieving Adam of his burden. Adam slumped to the floor in exhaustion. Patricia dropped to her knees beside him to hug and kiss him despite the wet coat and hat as well as several days' growth of whiskers.

"Oh, my God, I was so worried about you. What happened to your father?"

"We've been in the saddle about thirteen hours. We didn't dare stop. Even when we gave the horses a break, we stayed in the saddle. I tried to help as much as I could, but that weather out there was wicked. A couple of the hands saw us ride in and took care of the horses so all I had left to do was get Pa in the house."

"You need to get into some warm and dry clothing."

As Patricia helped Adam get his wet clothing and boots off, Joe and Hoss helped Ben. Hop Sing was there with blankets in which to wrap them then. Patricia went upstairs to grab their robes and slippers as both men shucked their wet undergarments. By the time she returned, they were both sitting in front of the fire wrapped in blankets and sipping hot coffee. She handed them their robes and went to help Hop Sing. Hoss helped Ben and Joe helped Adam as the two men donned their robes and then wrapped themselves in the blankets again. Soon, Hop Sing and Patricia were there with more hot coffee and plates of food. The others grabbed their plates and cups, and soon all were by the fireplace having dinner.

Safely home, Adam sat by Patricia but noticed that she still seemed tense and worried. He wrapped an arm around her when they finished dinner and felt a bit of resistance before she snuggled into his side resting her head on his shoulder.

"You aren't still upset that I was gone for nearly a week, are you?"

"No, I just have to talk with you about something. I don't want to do it now. Chris will be awake soon." A little cry from upstairs that was soon followed by a wail announced that Chris indeed was awake. Patricia smiled and went upstairs to get him. She knew he would put a smile on his father's face as well as his grandfather's. She quickly changed him and got him into a dry gown before carrying him downstairs. As expected, Adam smiled and took his son holding him close and kissing the top of his head before letting him lay back against his crossed leg. Chris looked up at him and smiled.

"There you go. Smiling for Papa."

Ben had to interject. "Ah, Adam, remember what you said about his smiling."

"Oh, but, Pa, I can tell the difference in his smiles." And Adam grinned, except he could still feel the tension in Patricia as she sat next to him. More than anything, he wanted to go to sleep, but he suspected there was an important reason why he should put that off and talk with his wife. He was correct in that assumption. When they got to their bedroom later and after Chris was placed in his cradle, Adam asked Patricia what was wrong. She went to her dresser and pulled out a letter from her mother and handed it to Adam. He read and looked more and more worried as he did so.

"He's really doing this? He's not just going after me, he's going after my whole family."

"I didn't know what the importance of each of those things she mentioned but I knew they had to be bad. Who's Barney Fuller?"

"He's our main competitor for lumber and timber contracts. If this happens, we won't win another bid from the railroads. It will be even tougher to get loans too, and this is the time of year when we often need those. We don't have cash coming in, but we still have expenses through the winter and into spring. In order to hire more men in spring for roundup and the spring drive, we often take a short-term loan for payroll and other expenses. Once the drive is over, we usually have enough working capital for the rest of the year because other contracts start bringing in cash too. It can be a delicate balancing act to take money from one enterprise to pay for another, but Pa has made it work for over twenty years. If we can't get those loans in spring, then the whole thing could come crashing down."

"So when Father made a deal with Barney Fuller to loan him all the money he needs to expand his operations, he'll be too big for you to compete with him?"

"That's about it on that front."

"And by bad mouthing the Ponderosa and saying that a number of bad business decisions had been made, then the banks would be unlikely to grant you the loans you need?"

"Yes, that's the other part of the equation. Your father certainly paid attention. He hit us in the two spots where we're most vulnerable. I'll have to talk with Pa and my brothers tomorrow. We may have to go to San Francisco and try to undo the damage. There's nothing we can do about Barney though. It's underhanded but probably completely legal."

"I'm so sorry to have brought all this trouble down on you and your family."

"You have nothing to be sorry about. You're part of this family too. We'll talk tomorrow and we'll figure something out. Now if I recall, though, we had a date when I left. That date is tonight. Why don't you show me how much you missed me?"

After lovemaking, both of them slept well and later than usual the next morning. Chris' mewling cry woke them finally. By the time they got downstairs, the others had finished breakfast. As Adam and Patricia ate, they explained to the others about the contents of Vi's letter. The men all had the same worries that Adam had expressed the night before. Patricia finally interjected what she thought all of them were ignoring.

"I could loan you the money you need. In fact, I could just give you the money." Patricia had been listening to Adam talking with his family about what Vi had told them in the letter and what they could do about it. "If you do everything you set out to do next year, then the banks will be reassured and you should be able to deal with them as you normally would."

Taken aback, Ben responded. "Patricia, dear, we can't take your money. You earned all of that outside the Ponderosa. It's your money."

"Adam said I was a part of this family. Am I or not? If you won't take my money, that's the same as telling me I don't belong here."

"No, that's not it at all. It's just that, it's your money. Don't you want to keep it for your son?"

"So he's not part of the Ponderosa either? I thought I would be keeping it for my son by investing it into this ranch or is that another mistake I made?"

Ben looked over at Adam. "She is a lot like Inger, isn't she?"

Hoss and Joe frowned not knowing what that meant, but Adam smiled. "So what would you do, Pa, if that was Inger talking to you like that?"

"What I always did." Looking at Patricia, Ben smiled. "Of course, Patricia, it would be wonderful if you would do that. You're right on all counts too."

"Pa, that takes care of our cash on hand issues, but what can we do about Barney?" Joe was concerned because the lumber and timber operations were the ones that were always profitable and funded improvements in other areas of the ranch such as horse breeding that could take years to show a profit. Hoss had the same concern because he and Ben had talked about bringing in more bulls to improve their stock, but those came at a high price because demand was so high for them.

Adam had a suggestion. "Let's not worry about the railroad contracts. Let's concentrate on what the mines need. If we mill our wood into eighteen by eighteen timbers, it saves us money at the lumber mill because it's less labor, and the mines seem to have a constant demand for them. It would mean a smaller operation but it should be just as profitable. If Barney can't handle all the railroad business, we could always ramp up our production to fill any contracts he can't."

Ben nodded and looked around the room. Hoss and Joe nodded as well. They had a plan and Patricia was a big part of it. "Patricia, what will your father do when he finds out you've sided with us against his plans?"

"I'm sure he'll be angry, and probably frustrated. He'll try to think of something else. Mother is trying to get him to open his heart to us, but she said she hasn't had much luck even with her new book of tricks."

Ben looked like he was going to ask what that meant, but Adam advised him not to do that. With the grin that Adam had though, the others thought it might be interesting at some point to find out what that book of tricks was especially when they saw Patricia blush. She didn't blush easily so they assumed correctly that it had to be quite a good story and probably a bit scandalous too. Adam wanted to go to town to start the paperwork on putting Patricia's money into the Ponderosa accounts. The sooner that the banks realized that the Ponderosa was completely solvent, the sooner the banks would be willing to extend them credit if they needed it.

However the weather delayed them doing that for two more days. Finally the sun came out, the snow melted, and it was a nice fall day. They waited one more day for the muddy roads to dry, and then Adam packed up his wife and son to head to town. The work with the lawyer and the bank went well, but Adam got a telegram that had been waiting for him for several days. He read it and stuffed it into his pocket before going back to get Patricia who was sitting in the minister's parlor after nursing Chris. Adam had thought that would be the best place for her to have some privacy. When Adam knocked and entered the minister's home, Patricia thought he looked troubled, but he smiled as soon as he saw them. After visiting with the minister and his wife for a short time, they headed home.

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

Adam sighed. She was getting very good at reading him. He put the reins in one hand and pulled the telegram from his pocket handing it to Patricia. She read it and looked up at him with alarm.

"What can we do?"

"Probably nothing. Unless the snow delayed their trip, based on what your mother said in her letter, they're already probably at Salt Lake City and well on their way back home. I don't know of any way to catch up to them. I'm not even sure I want to catch up to them."

"Adam, it is my father and the grandfather of our son. We have to try to help."

"I can probably send some telegrams to people I know on their likely route home to see if they can intercept them. It's a long shot though. I'll talk to Pa and see if he has any other ideas. Granted he may not be in the mood to call in favors to help your father."

"But he'll go to prison if we don't help him. He has no idea what he's going to be facing once he gets home. My mother will be so upset. You can't let this happen to her. She's done everything she could to help us."

"We'll see what we can do."

When Adam and Patricia arrived at the ranch, his father and brothers were all outside. They greeted him and wondered at the somewhat sour expressions the couple had. Ben had to ask.

"Did everything go all right at the bank and with the lawyer?"

"Everything went very well. I have some papers for you to sign and keep in the safe. No, what's bothering us is that I got a telegram from JP. It's probably been sitting in town for days. No one realized how urgent the news was. Thomas' bank has undergone an audit to check its solvency before being purchased by the Morgan Bank. Pa, they found that a lot of money has been embezzled. With Thomas gone, there's no way to determine if he did it or if someone took the opportunity of his absence to do it. Either way, as president of that bank, he's going to be held accountable. The books probably show he got the money. He'll likely go to prison."

"Couldn't happen to a nicer feller."

"Hoss, that's no way to talk about Patricia's father. Adam, do you think we can do anything to help him?"

"Pa, the only thing I can think of to do is to wire people we know along his likely route to see if we can intercept him. I can send a message through the railroad too, but I doubt he'll respond to me. He'll probably think it's a trick. It's a lot like something he might pull."

"We can go in first thing tomorrow. We won't be able to get there now before the telegraph office closes. We can come up with a list of people to contact tonight, and write out a carefully worded message for them."

The next day, Ben and Adam went to town to send telegrams. It added up to quite a bit of money, but they had to do it for Patricia's sake. They heard nothing in response to any of the messages. Three weeks later as they were sitting down to dinner, they heard a carriage in the yard. Joe went to see who it was. He walked in a moment later, smiling, and with Vi on his arm.

"Look who's back!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Mother, thank God, one of our messages got to you. But where's Father?"

After taking a deep breath, Vi launched into her story. "We got your message in St. Louis. In fact, we got two of them there: one from a good friend of yours and another through the rail line. Thomas refused to believe them. He said it was a trick because you had found out what he had done. I told him to trust all of you for you weren't devious and underhanded. He said anyone in business is, so I was naive to think that you were not. I guess he has changed his opinion of all of you. However that isn't going to do him much good when he gets to New York. He said he never embezzled any money and he can prove it. I doubt that very much if those jackals had all these months to prepare incriminating documents. He told me if I left to come back here that I could expect divorce papers to follow. He said he knew what I had done in Placerville but had been willing to forgive it because of all the bad publicity that would come from a divorce but that he saw no other recourse if I deserted him. I think I realized right then and there that I do not love him and never have. I was with him out of loyalty and duty. No matter what I did, I couldn't get him to change. I couldn't get him to open his heart."

"Mother, I'm so sorry."

"Well, I'm very sorry too that your father is such an ass, excuse my language, but I don't know any better word to describe him. However, I arrive here quite destitute. Any property I had is in Thomas' name because of the marriage. I traded in my ticket to New York to get a ticket to return. It's all I had except for my jewelry I took on the trip."

Ben stepped forward. "You are welcome to stay here as long as needed. Adam's home will be finished in spring, and he and Patricia will be moving there with Chris and Bao Yu. That means there'll be plenty of room for you here should you choose to stay."

"Or you would be welcome to live with us. I designed the home with four bedrooms, so there will be one for you if you want."

Patricia could not have loved her husband and father-in-law any more than she did at that moment. She hugged her mother who had started to cry. "Mother, we have dinner on the table. Won't you join us? I know you love Hop Sing's cooking and Bao Yu has added some of her favorite dishes to the menu here as Hop Sing has been teaching her about American cooking and baking."

Gratefully, Vi sank onto a dining chair in the house that would be her home for the next few months at least.

Getting snowed in for a few months in winter was going to be far more interesting than it had been in decades on the Ponderosa with four new people in the house. Bao Yu and Hop Sing were getting along very well and often played Chinese games in the evening when the work was done. Hop Sing relaxed a lot having someone with whom to converse in his native tongue. They attended some of the events in Chinatown together and got tongues wagging there.

Patricia decided that she and her mother could sew curtains for the new house because Adam gave them the dimensions of every window in his plan. Ben asked if they had time to put some new curtains in the dining room too. After a trip to town and the purchase of a stack of fabric as well as thread, needles, and other sundries, they had their winter project ready to go.

With stacks of cured wood in the shed, Adam was ready for his winter project of crafting some furniture for his new home. Hoss volunteered to carve scenes into the pieces and Patricia sketched out some patterns for him to use. Not wanting to be left out, Joe asked what he could do, and Adam offered the jobs of sanding and helping him finish the pieces once Hoss was done carving. Ben said he would help whenever they wanted, but mostly he wanted to be there to see his sons working together harmoniously.

Divorce papers arrived only one week before the news that Thomas had been arrested and was set to go on trial for embezzlement and forgery. He had sold the house to get money for lawyers, but in his letter to Patricia, he sounded like he was defeated. He said he was sorry he had not trusted Adam, and that he had been a fool. He rued his lack of foresight and said that had been his ruination. He apologized to Viola for not having accepted her advice and said he didn't blame her for protecting herself when it was clear he was not going to do it. Patricia cried when she read it, but there was nothing they could do. All they could hope for was that his sentence would not be too harsh. The divorce papers were sent back to New York to be filed with the proper authorities. There was a little gossip in town about the divorced woman living on the Ponderosa, but as Vi began to take part in the women's groups in town making many friends, the talk died down.

As expected, Thomas was convicted. Men who were as ruthless in business as he had been seldom had any help when they got in serious trouble. He may not have been guilty of embezzlement and forgery, but he certainly had not followed the law in all of his dealings. His sentence of ten years was as good as a life sentence. He was soft and overweight so that the work required of him exhausted him. That and the poor food, the cold nights, and the stress took their toll. Word of Thomas poor health reached them in early April with the official divorce decree. His shadow had been over everything that had happened in the preceding months, and mother and daughter were sad but had been expecting this bad news for some time. What was not expected was the word that Thomas had transferred the remainder of his estate to Vi. It was clear that he never expected to survive his prison term. Apparently some goodness did exist in him. However Chris would likely know that grandfather only in the sketch that Adam had made and in the painting that Patricia had done based on that sketch.

As soon as the snow began to melt, Adam was back at work on his house. He wanted to move into it before he left on the spring drive. He had finished the furniture he wanted for the home and had ordered other pieces that he expected would be delivered as soon as the passes to California opened again. Patricia brought Chris with her and worked beside Adam on the finishing as soon as he had the fireplaces working and the stoves installed so that their son would stay warm. Chris was doing a crawl of sorts but would not venture out onto the unfinished wood floors so they laid a big rug in the middle of the main room, and he spent his time there crawling around and chewing on wooden blocks Hoss had carved for him.

"He's getting teeth. I can feel them when I'm nursing him. I can't imagine what that's going to feel like when they break through. I cringe when I think of those tiny sharp teeth."

"You could start weaning him. He eats a lot of solid food already. It probably wouldn't be that hard to wean him off some of the nursing."

"I don't know how to do that. I'll ask Mother to help. She's been great with all of her advice for me, although she does seem to enjoy your father's company quite a lot too. I asked her if she wanted to come along today, but she said 'Ben is going to give me a tour of the ranch' so I came over without her. You don't think anything is going on with them, do you?"

"Sweetheart, I don't think so, but I have no idea what the future may bring. Pa's been alone for a long time. Each time I think he might be interested in someone, nothing has happened. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. It could be that they will just be the best of friends. They would both enjoy that, I think."

"It would be funny, wouldn't it, if my mother and your father got together. It's kinda creepy to think about too."

"It would probably be best then if you don't think about it." Adam grinned, and Patricia slapped him on the shoulder. He grabbed her for that, and within a minute, they were wrestling on the rug where Chris was. Chris thought it was great fun and crawled to them. Soon Adam was on his back with Chris up on his knees leaning on his father's chest, and Patricia sitting on the other side of him doing the same. "All right, you two, you win." Patricia leaned down to kiss him.

"I don't think you're going to get this house done before the spring drive like that."

Adam turned his head to see his father and Vi standing just inside the front door he had recently installed. "I guess I oiled those hinges well enough. I never heard you come in."

Chris put up his arms to be picked up by either his grandmother or his grandfather. He loved them both. Ben picked him up and balanced him on his hip. "We thought we would stop by and see how you were doing." So Ben and Vi got the grand tour before all of them headed back to the main house which was only ten minutes away although through some trees so that one house could not be seen from the other.

The big move to the new house took place even before it was finished. Adam thought it would be easier to finish the last rooms if he were living there so he would be able to work on it whenever he had any spare time. However, he didn't have much spare time. In addition to finishing the house, he was finishing up house plans for Crocker who had sought him out and got his old firm to hire him as a consultant so he could finish the drawings Crocker wanted. After the spring roundup and drive, he would have to go to San Francisco to work preparing the site and then getting the construction started. He also was supposed to order fixtures and any other furnishings that the house itself would need and with water closets for every bedroom and another large one on the main floor as well as fireplaces and the kitchen, there was a lot of ordering to be done. However once completed, Adam would have made a name for himself as an architect and would be able to take jobs as he wanted. He had an office in his new home except like the extra bedrooms, it wasn't finished yet. Two bedrooms, the kitchen and washroom, as well as the main room were mostly completed and only needed a few small touches. The office, the other bedrooms, the dining area, and the water closets were not complete. Bao Yu said she didn't mind as it was still much nicer than the home she had left behind in China. She looked forward to having her own kitchen although she knew she would miss spending all that time with Hop Sing.

Once Adam left on the cattle drive, Patricia realized that the move into the new house had been a great idea. She had so much to do she didn't have time during the day to be lonely. Her mother sometimes accompanied by Ben came over to the house often. She took Chris to the main house for dinner almost every day. She did start weaning Chris but she missed the nursing more than he did so she put off weaning him entirely. He was growing fast but was mostly longer. Ben said that was how Adam grew as a lean youngster no matter how much he ate. The nights were the most difficult for Patricia. In just over a year, she had gotten so used to having Adam pressed up against her as she slept, that she found it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep with the empty spot next to her reminding her that he was gone. When the cattle drive ended, Hoss and Joe came home but Adam had stayed in California to finish his work for Crocker. It was another two weeks before he returned home. He looked tired and drawn. He had a slight cough, and the lovemaking that Patricia expected to be passionate was more perfunctory. As she lay next to him as he slept, she could hear his breathing much more than usual. By the next day when Adam dressed and was going to get to work, she tried to stop him.

"You're exhausted. You need to rest more than anything."

"I've been tired before. It's nothing unusual. Once I get my work done, I can rest."

"You're going to make yourself sick."

"No, I won't because I'm already sick. It's just a cold. I'll be fine." Two days later, Adam had to be seen by Doctor Martin who delivered his diagnosis to Patricia and Ben.

"He should have been in bed days ago. Letting this develop this much has made him really sick. But I know Adam, and I'm sure he told everyone he was 'fine' except he most certainly wasn't. He thinks he can control everything by strength of will, but pneumonia isn't so easily defeated." Doctor Martin was ready for the gasp from Patricia and was sorry to have upset her, but she needed to know the truth. "He's been sick before, and luckily he is a very strong man, but he needs to stay in that bed now for the next week at least. Hop Sing and Bao Yu know what to do. Between the two of them, they'll ease his breathing and prepare the right kinds of food for him. Lots of liquids too. I'll be back in a couple of days unless he gets worse and you notify me."

As Ben walked Paul out, Patricia went to their bedroom. Hop Sing and Bao Yu had the room warm and steamy. Adam lay propped up on a stack of pillows. His breathing sounded better than it had earlier that morning. He had been home only two days but his health had deteriorated rapidly which had caused Patricia to send Bao Yu to the main house to get someone to ride for the doctor early that morning. Her mother and Ben had been there soon after, and Hop Sing arrived a short time after that with herbs and broth. As Patricia entered the room, Hop Sing handed her a cup of broth.

"You make him drink. He bad patient. You make him do right thing."

As Patricia sat on the bed and held the cup to Adam's lips, he tried to push it away.

"You muleheaded fool. You will drink this or I will get a funnel and pour it down your throat. If you don't think so, just try me."

The two locked angry gazes for a moment before Adam conceded. He knew he should. He had known that he should have listened to his wife on the day he arrived home, but he hated letting an illness put him down. It made him feel weak, and he hated feeling weak. Of course he hated being fussed over and tended to, but had now consigned himself to that as well.

After a few days, Adam was feeling better but Patricia insisted he stay in bed. He grumbled a lot, but he had made her life very difficult recently so felt he had to give in on that point at least until the week the doctor had ordered was up. Ben arrived with good news and was happy to hear that Adam was feeling better.

"Is he awake? I have some news that will likely cheer him up."

"Yes, and he better still be in that bed when we go up there." Patricia preceded Ben up the stairs and opened the door to their bedroom. Adam was leaning back against the pillows and reading.

"Well, you look and sound a lot better than a few days ago and better even than you sounded last night. I brought good news to cheer you up. Barney Fuller stopped over today."

"Barney? I hardly think that would usually fit in the category of good news."

"Oh, but it does. He ordered equipment and accepted contracts based on the promise of loans and investment from Thomas. He's now so overextended that he can't fulfill the contracts and that means he can't make payments on the equipment and horses he ordered. If he can't make those payments, he will lose everything."

"I never liked Barney, but I don't think Barney being ruined is anything to celebrate either."

"Oh, that's not the good part. He's offered to let us partner on the contracts. I said I would but would not assume any of the penalties if the contracts are not completed on time. In addition, I'm buying some of the equipment he ordered but can't pay for."

"You would do that for him after everything he's done to us?"

"I'm paying fifty cents on the dollar. He'll have to get loans to pay for the rest to keep his reputation intact. Otherwise he'll be ruined."

"You are an old pirate at heart." Adam started laughing then and that caused him to start coughing, but with Patricia thumping his back, he was able to get control of it quickly. "I swear, woman, my back is going to be black and blue if you keep doing that every time I cough."

"Doctor Martin said to do that every time to loosen what's in your lungs, or would you rather spend another week in bed."

Adam's glower got a chuckle from Ben then. "He's always done that. I remember when he was young and got sick. That glower from the bed is classic."

"I'm so glad I can provide amusement for you two."

"Well, I have another idea. Vi and I will take care of Chris for a week if you would like to have a proper honeymoon. You never did have one, and it seems now would be a good time. As soon as you're out of bed, you could go. Vi suggested that your Secret Spring cabin would make a nice honeymoon place. Now that the mining is completed, it should be tranquil there, and you can both get the rest you need."

A week later, when Adam was strong enough, they asked Ben and Vi if their offer still held. Of course it did, and when Adam mentioned that they would pack up supplies the next day, Ben told them they didn't have to do that.

"Hoss and Joe were there already. They opened it up and aired it out. They brought all the supplies you'll need including grain for the horses."

Patricia hugged Ben then, and Adam put a hand on his father's shoulder when he thanked him. Then he thanked Hoss and Joe as well. His big grin let them know how much he appreciated all that they had done. Once the couple arrived at the cabin, they put the horses out to graze, and Adam suggested they head to the warm spring. There they disrobed and slipped into the soothing waters. Adam pulled Patricia into a warm embrace.

"I believe I know what to do next, milady. Would you be willing to make love to your gallant knight here in the secret spring where the tale began?"

Patricia's kiss let him know that answer. The secret spring worked its magic once more.


End file.
